


Daughter of Arthur Morgan

by Madam_Prickly_Pear_620



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur and Mary’s Daughter, Arthur is a Single Dad™, Arthur’s Daughter, Bisexual Arthur, Blood and Gore, Charles is unofficial Step-Dad, Charthur, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, M/M, Mary Dies, Mary is less of a bitch, Mr. Gillis sucks ass, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Pregnancy, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:34:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 94,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21752314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madam_Prickly_Pear_620/pseuds/Madam_Prickly_Pear_620
Summary: Mary finds out she's pregnant with Arthur's child right before they are supposed to run away together. Her father finds out before she can tell Arthur and forces her to break Arthur's heart and keep the child a secret.After Mary cancels their engagement, Arthur decides he is done with romantic relationships for good.Fast forward to 1899. Arthur is totally oblivious to the fact that Mary has given birth to their daughter, and must struggle to keep the gang afloat after the botched Blackwater job. Not only that, but he finds himself feeling strong emotions towards Charles. And unknowingly to him the feelings are mutual.He thinks he may finally be ready to love again, then Mary shows up out of the blue and changes his life forever.How is Arthur going to handle being a single dad to a daughter he didn’t even know about?
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston/John Marston, Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith, Charthur - Relationship, Mary Gillis Linton/Arthur Morgan
Comments: 155
Kudos: 314





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I can't believe I am actually publishing my own fic. I've been reading them for years but never had the motivation to write one myself. But I could not get this idea out of my head so now I am writing my first ever fic. Woo!
> 
> Already I am seeing just how difficult it can be to write a story but I am excited for the journey. This will probably be a pretty long fic with a lot of chapters, but I am committed to finishing it. 
> 
> The prologue is quite long because I needed to set up the story, but the next chapters will start where the game begins which will hopefully make them easier to write and they won't be as long.

If someone had asked Arthur Morgan a year ago if he could see himself settling down and leaving behind his thieving, gunslinging, outlaw ways he would have laughed in their face. Afterall, that was all he knew for the better part of his life.

To Arthur, home and family meant sitting and laughing around a campfire with his two mentors who were like fathers to him, drinking and joking with his once feral younger brother who drove him crazy but he still loved deep down, and of course enjoying the company of the other members of their rag tag group, all of whom Arthur would happily take a bullet for.

This gang, his family, meant the world to Arthur and there was almost nothing that could make him want to leave.

Even when Arthur fathered a child to a young waitress, he remained loyal to the gang. Sure he would visit the boy and his mother a few times a year, send some cash when he could, but in the end he chose the gang over his own flesh and blood. He loved Isaac (and Eliza to an extent), he really did, but he couldn’t-or wouldn’t give up the freedoms of the outlaw life even for his own son. Something he would deeply regret from the moment he saw those two crosses sitting outside the dilapidated house, to the moment he died. 

After Eliza and Isaac’s deaths Arthur felt hardened, soulless, like he would never be able to love again. As if love was only meant to end in pain and suffering.

That was until he met Mary Gillis. She was beautiful, kind, educated, wealthy, and belonged to a proper family. To Arthur, she was everything he wasn’t. Maybe that is what pulled them to each other.

For the first time in Arthur's life, he thinks he’s finally fallen in love.

At least, that is what he tells himself as he hastily packs a bag in the middle of the night while his family slumbers around camp. He knows Mary is waiting for him at a train station, engagement ring on her finger, so that they can finally run away together and start a life of their own.

He knows what leaving the gang will mean for him, and for the others. He knows he will no longer be able to rob banks and stage coaches for fun, shoot folks who give him a wrong look, and lose all the freedoms of the outlaw life. He knows this will hurt Dutch and Hosea the most. Not to mention his younger brother John, who was finally starting to become his own man.

If he wasn’t so cowardly he would have explained himself to his family face to face instead of leaving a pathetic little note in his tent proclaiming his love for Mary and his plans to marry her and run away to live an honest life.

He glanced one last time back at camp, his home for the last 12 years, and hoped his family would be okay without him and they could one day forgive him. He quietly strapped his bag to Boadicea and walked out of camp until he was sure he was far enough to mount her and ride away without being noticed.

**********

Mary knew something was wrong when she missed her monthly cycle for the second month in a row. The first month she thought was just a fluke, because hey - it happens. But then the telltale signs started to slowly appear right after she accepted an engagement ring from Arthur a month ago. First her breasts became so tender even walking down the stairs was agony, then came the horrible debilitating nausea and vomiting. She would be so sick she didn’t want to leave bed. And though she tried to hide her symptoms as best as she could, her meddling father soon found out and ordered the family doctor to make a home visit to see what was wrong with his daughter.

The doctor confirmed Mary’s suspicion and even after much begging on her part, the doctor did not hesitate to inform Mr. Gillis that Mary was indeed pregnant.

To say he was furious was an understatement. He knew Arthur Morgan, infamous outlaw and scum of the earth in his mind, was to blame. And since Arthur was absent, he took all his fury out on Mary. His screams echoing throughout their home had Mary begging for his forgiveness and frightened her out of her wits. During his non-stop berating, a shaking and hysterical Mary finally confessed her plan to run away with Arthur and wed him. 

Mr. Gillis knew he couldn’t have his daughter involved with that devious criminal for one more second. So he made her a deal. He generously agreed not to alert the authorities to the fact that a wanted Arthur Morgan would be at a specific train station, at a specific date and time, with no backup, and vulnerable as can be, if Mary did one thing:

Break his heart.

Not only was she to destroy his heart and vow to never see him again, but Mr. Gillis demanded she hide her pregnancy from the public eye and surrender the child to an orphanage immediately after birth.

Afterall, a woman of her stature would not receive a single proper suitor if she had a bastard child.

Mary felt her world fall apart. But she knew if she did not meet her father’s demands he would set an ambush against Arthur that would no doubt lead him to the gallows.

Mary was supervised 24/7 so she couldn’t send any secret letters to Arthur, until it was finally time for her to meet him at the train station – and single handedly destroy both of their lives.

**********

Arthur rode for hours in the darkness until he could see the faint glow of the rural train station. As he approached the platform, he could see a lone figure with their head hanging down sitting on one of the benches outside.

A smile spread across Arthur's face when he realized it was Mary. She came. This was really happening. They were going to escape and live out the rest of their days together.

His joy and excitement were quickly snuffed out when Mary didn’t even lift her head at his approach, and when he noticed she had no luggage or bags.

His heart seized. He hitched Boadicea and slowly dismounted, never taking his eyes off Mary who had still yet to move or acknowledge Arthur's presence. He stepped lightly towards her until he was standing right in front of her.

“Mary,” he says softly.

“Hi…Arthur,” she says barely above a whisper.

He takes a seat next to her. “What is it, what’s wrong?”

She tilts her head in his direction but still wont look at him. “I-I’m sorry Arthur, I can’t do this. I can’t go with you.”

He knew he should have seen this coming. Life was never kind to him. Why would it ever let him experience even a sliver of true happiness when it had shown him such little mercy throughout his life.

He hangs his head for a moment before looking back to Mary.

“Why?” he asks brokenly.

“Because, I-I…” God this was killing her. She wanted nothing more than to scream the truth but she knew if she did Arthur was as good as dead. Her father and two of his personal armed guards were hidden in the shadows behind the clerks office. Making sure Mary carried out her duty, and preparing to take Arthur dead or alive if she failed.

Arthur put his hand on her chin and lifted her head so their eyes met, “Mary please look at me. What’s wrong? You can tell me anything. You know that.”

She let out a shuddered breath and tears started to stream down her face as she prepared to do what had to be done.

“Oh Arthur… I just can’t be with someone like you. Daddy was right. You ain’t good for me.” She turned her head away from his hand and let out a quiet sob.

Arthur grabbed her hand that was resting in her lap.

“What? Mary, I…you know I would do anything for you. Hell I’m givin up my life as an outlaw, and the only family I know, to be with you. I know I’ve done terrible things in my past. Lied, stolen, hell even killed. But I’m ready to give that all up to live an honest life with you. As a good man.”

Mary rips her hand from Arthur's and stands.

“But that’s just it Arthur, nothing can erase the things you’ve done. No matter how decent of a man you become you’ll always have the title of liar, thief, and murderer. You can’t change the past. You’re still a wanted man for goodness sake! Am I just supposed to keep running from the law with you every time someone decides to hunt you down?”

She pauses to look at Arthur. God, knowing she is causing the pain in his eyes is almost enough to make her want to stand in front a moving train.

She doesn’t wait for a response to her question.

“And besides. How are you gonna be able to take care of me when the only way you know how to earn money is by thieving and killing! I can’t live like that Arthur! You can’t change and neither can I. I ain’t fit to be the wife of an outlaw and you ain’t fit to be the husband of a civilized woman. We-we’re just too different, our worlds are too different. It can never work between us Arthur.” 

She still had tears streaming down her face but her voice was strong.

Arthur didn’t know what to say. He’s pretty sure getting shot in the chest would have been less painful than her words. Mostly because he knew they were true. He knew he was a low-life thief and killer. But doing those things are what kept him alive most days. She wouldn’t understand what that’s like.

Arthur stands and faces her but she turns so she doesn’t have to see him face to face.

“Mary, please. I-I know that…the things I’ve done are unforgivable. But you have to understand, I never had what you had growing up. My parents were poor from the start. My ma died when I was real young and my pa was a thief and killer himself. I had to watch him swing when I was teenager. After that, it was just me against the world. And the world ain’t kind to street rats like me. I did what I had to do to stay _alive._ And if it weren’t for Hosea and Dutch I surely would not have lived to see adulthood. They gave me a better life and taught me how to survive on my own. Those things I did were necessary for me and my family’s survival.”

He pauses.

“But I know they are bad! I want to be done with all that. I’m _ready_ to be done with all that, I promise! I will do whatever it takes to live like an honest man and have a proper life with you. I never had the chance to do so until now and I just…” He trails off and lets out a sigh. “I love you Mary, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She’s still crying and looks heartbroken and sympathetic to his plea but can’t bring herself to say anything.

Arthur keeps trying, “Please Mary, its not too late. You can go grab your things and I’ll wait here for you. We can still do this!”

He lets out a soft “please” after.

If it was under different circumstances Mary would be flattered by how hard Arthur was willing to fight just to be with her. But now…this is akin to torture. The more he fights this the more she has to break him. Her mind wanders to the child growing inside her.

Arthur's baby. The one he will never know about and that she will be forced to abandon after birth. How did it all go so wrong?

She suddenly feels defeated and exhausted. It was time to end this. There was no way out and she just wanted it to finally be over.

“Arthur, I…love you too but…there’s something I haven’t told you yet.”

He looks at her questioningly.

“There’s someone else,” she lies.

Arthur looks shocked but doesn’t speak so she continues.

“Daddy met him a while back and propositioned him to start officially courting me. I’ve seen him a few times now to please Daddy, and we think he’s fixin to propose soon. He’s…a good man. He can give me a real fine life. And well…in the end I had a choice to make and I chose…him,” she says delicately.

She starts apologizing immediately, “I’m so sorry Arthur! I-,” but he raises a hand to stop her.

He’s not looking at her but she can see how angry he is by the way his chest falls and rises and the clenching of his jaw.

He looks at her then. “Do you love him?”

A simple question, but it still stuns her. Does she love a man she made up just to break Arthur's heart? Of course not. She knows she can’t say “yes” and be convincing, so she remains silent and a look of shame crosses her tear-stained face.

Arthur just nods his head silently at her lack of answer. To him, she’s choosing some rich guy she barely knows, over a man who loves her unconditionally and is willing to sacrifice everything to be with her.

How many times does he need to suffer for the sake of love? He thinks bitterly.

He decides he is done with it once and for all.

“Well, Mary…I wish you the best of luck then,” he says emotionless. He looks her in the eye one more time then turns and heads for his horse.

Mary stands there helplessly as she watches the love of her life, and father of her unborn child walk away. No doubt hating every fiber of her being. She wrings her hands together when she remembers something.

“Wait!” She calls out.

He stops and turns as she walks up to him.

“Um I should probably give this back to you,” she says quietly while trying to work his engagement ring off her finger.

He grabs her hands to stop her and she looks up at him. Right into those beautiful blue eyes she loves so much.

“No,” he says stoically. “Keep it, I don’t want it.”

He drops his hand from hers.

“Arthur,” she pleads as she moves her hands to clutch his shirt and lifts her eyes to his. That’s when she really sees it. The damage she’s done to this poor man. There are no tears on his face or in his eyes but by God is there complete utter devastation. She realizes there is nothing she can do to fix this.

Mary is overcome with guilt and shame. She reaches her face up to his and gives him a small kiss on his cheek and whispers, “Goodbye Arthur, I’m so sorry.” Then settles back down, lets go of his shirt, and hangs her head.

He relaxes his tense body for a moment and leans his head down towards her. Then just as quickly, lifts his head, squares his shoulders, and turns around without a word and heads towards his horse.

Mary watches as he mounts up and rides away without a single glance back.

The heartbreak catches up to her swiftly and she collapses to her knees near the side of the platform. She’s unsure whether the nausea she feels is from what just happened or her pregnancy but she vomits onto the ground and afterwards outwardly sobs into the night.

As she continues to breakdown, she suddenly feels a large hand grab her arm roughly and pull her to her feet.

“Get up!” Her father demands. “Time to go home. You’ll be fixing the rest of this mess soon enough.”

Mary hangs her head in defeat and follows.

**********

Arthur knows he should be feeling somber and heartbroken, but at the moment he just feels angry.

Angry at Mary for throwing away their dream of living the rest of their days together. Angry at the man that stole Mary from him. But mostly, angry at himself. He felt like a prized idiot for allowing himself to become so vulnerable so easily.

He felt an overwhelming amount of shame thinking about how he was so willing to abandon his family for a woman who threw him away like trash the instant she received a better offer. From a man she didn’t even love no less. It was all too much.

Arthur could only hope he rides fast enough to make it back to camp before dawn so he could sneak back into his tent, unpack his bag, and destroy his goodbye letter before anyone even realizes he left in the first place.

He could just imagine it.

Riding back to camp after the sun has risen only to come face to face with the hardened stares of his entire family. John would probably never speak to him again. And he wouldn’t blame him. Brothers don’t abandon each other. Hosea would be disappointed because Arthur didn’t at least discuss the matter with him before making the rash decision to up and leave with no warning.

And Dutch…It’s almost too much to think about. He would never trust Arthur again. He would claim Arthur has no loyalty, no respect for the gang or Dutch himself. He might even tell Arthur to get lost.

What then? No Mary. No gang. No family. Might as well put a bullet in his head.

Arthur shook those thoughts from his head and pressed even harder to get back to camp. To get back home.

He leans forward to pat Boadicea on the neck and give praises.

“That’s it girl, get me back home. I promise a whole handful of mints when we get back.” Then he lets out a sigh as he continues talking to Boadicea, trying to be playful but his voice falls flat.

“Shoulda known you’re the only girl for me Boa. You ain’t ever gonna let me down will ya girl.” He forces a smile to cross his face, not that the horse cares any.

He breathes a sigh of relief when he finally makes it back to camp just before dawn. Everyone should still be asleep. And if he sees someone walking about already he can remove his bag and hide it behind a bush or something then pretend he’s coming back from an early morning ride, and when the coast is clear retrieve his bag later. It will all work out.

It has to.

He creeps slowly towards camp, leading Boadicea by her reins after giving her the mints she was promised. He doesn’t see anyone awake and moving around yet so he hitches her and unstraps his bag as quickly as possible and makes a beeline for his tent. All the while listening for sounds of someone waking up.

He feels immense relief when he reaches his tent with no issues and swiftly enters the flaps into the safety of his private space.

Only to come face to face with Hosea standing next to his cot…note in hand and eyes blown wide in shock.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

They just stare at each other and a tense few seconds pass with nothing but silence. To Arthur it feels like an eternity and he can’t get his mouth to form words.

Finally Hosea speaks up.

“I-uh woke up and noticed Boadicea was gone so I came in here to see if you left a note about a hunting trip or something. Then I…noticed your things were missing and I found this,” he shakes the note in his hand.

Arthur hangs his head so he doesn’t have to look at the look of confusion on Hosea's face.

Finally he drops his bag and speaks, “Ya…I, uh don’t really know what to say Hosea.”

“Did you change your mind?” Hosea asks, obviously already having read the entirety of the letter.

“Um no. She did.”

“Oh.”

Hosea lets out a sigh and sits on the cot then gestures to the space next to him.

“Come sit with me son. It’s okay.”

Arthur lifts his head up to look at him with a guilty and worried face. Then slowly walks to the cot and gently sinks down next to Hosea.

Another few moments of silence and just when Hosea is about to speak, Arthur beats him to it.

“I’m so sorry Hosea!” He finally loses it as tears build in his eyes.

“I was so stupid! How could I be so stupid! I almost lost the one thing in my life that actually matters, this family that cares about me just as much as I care about it. I betrayed the gang!” He’s crying now.

Hosea looks on in horror at Arthur's open display of emotions.

Arthur continues between sobs.

“I betrayed you and Dutch, after everything you did for me. I-I deserted John, my brother who put his trust in me since the day we met. And I was about to throw it all away just like that! For a woman I’ve known less than a year!” He cries even harder at his confession.

Finally Hosea puts a comforting hand on Arthur's back and shushes him as he sobs.

“Arthur, it’s ok- ” But Hosea doesn’t get a chance to finish.

“NO IT IS NOT OKAY HOSEA!” And he is immediately shushed.

“Shh Arthur, calm down son, calm down.”

He continues to rub his back as he thinks of what to say.

“You are a young man Arthur. Young men are impulsive and sometimes follow their heart more than their brain. And there is nothing wrong with that. You’re also human Arthur. Humans make mistakes. You can’t be too hard on yourself for reacting irrationally in the name of love.”

Arthur's sobs quiet down after listening to Hosea but he still had tears streaming down his face.

Hosea sighs then continues.

“To be honest Arthur, I was…kinda happy for you after reading your note.”

Arthur's head snaps up in surprise.

“Wh-what? But I-”

Hosea interrupts, “Of course I wish you would have talked to me about it before you and up and left with no warning…but I couldn’t help but picture you happily married to Mary, living a proper life…maybe with a house, some kids,” he smiles, then looks up to meet Arthur's eyes.

“What happened son? Why did she change her mind?”

Arthur hangs his head again.

“She met someone else. A proper suitor who can give her the life she wants, and has Daddy’s approval,” he scoffs.

Hosea just hums then squeezes Arthur's shoulder.

“I’m real sorry son. She lost a great man.”

Arthur gives a dry laugh.

“Ha yeah a lying, thieving, murdering scum bag. She was right Hosea, that’s all I am and I ain’t ever gonna change.”

Hosea gets real angry then and pulls Arthur's chin to force him to look at him.

“Now you listen here Arthur Morgan. The things we do to survive do not define who are.

"When I look at you, I see a man who is brave, and strong, and is willing to do anything to keep those he loves safe and happy. You are an artist, a nurturer, a damn good brother, and You. Are. My. Son.

"I wouldn’t trade you or change you for all the money in the world, and that Mary is a fool for giving up a man like you.”

A pause, then finally.

“I believe in you Arthur Morgan.”

Arthur just looks helplessly into Hosea's eyes then pulls his head from Hosea's grasp and lowers it into his hands.

“I ain’t ever gonna abandon our family again Hosea. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life. From now on, this gang comes first, no matter what. I promise.”

Hosea just nods his head sadly, “Okay Arthur.”

Then, “But don’t you give up on love now ya hear? Oh, it can break you down until you’re nothing but shambles…but it can also make you stronger than you ever thought possible. I hope you’ll see that one day.”

Arthur doesn’t respond so Hosea gives him one last pat on the back and stands up.

“Get some rest son, you need it. I’ll tell everyone to leave you alone for the rest of the day.”

Arthur looks up at that.

“Please don’t tell anyone about me leaving, especially Dutch.”

Hosea knows Arthur must be scared shitless of Dutch finding out about this.

“I won’t son, I promise. No need to stir drama when there ain’t none. But we should probably let him know that you are no longer involved with Mary.”

Hosea thinks for a moment. Then says,

“I’m going to ride into town soon to pick up the morning paper and check for letters at the post office. If you want, I can pretend I picked up a letter from Mary for you. Then we can tell Dutch you received a letter from her this morning enclosing her engagement to someone else, and that you need to spend the day dealing with it on your own. That way we’re still at least a little bit truthful about the situation.”

Arthur nodded, “Okay that works, I guess. Thank you Hosea.”

“Of course son. Unpack your things and get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Arthur must have fallen asleep after unpacking because the next thing he knows Hosea is shaking him awake to tell him he’s back from town and everyone is starting to wake up.

By the time everyone is up and ready and busying themselves with morning chores, Hosea is ready to tell Dutch about the Mary situation.

“Morning Dutch.” Hosea greets.

“Ah good morning Hosea. How are you this fine day?”

“Uh good Dutch, but we have a bit of a problem.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I picked up the mail this morning and there was a letter for Arthur from Mary, and well…I just spoke with him and apparently she has written him that she is now involved with another man and she doesn’t wish to see Arthur anymore.”

“My God, you must be joking,” Dutch responds with a shocked face. As far as he knew those two were infatuated with each other.

“Afraid not Dutch. Arthur is taking it pretty hard as you can imagine so I told him to take the day off.”

“Of course, of course. Oh, our poor boy.”

“Yeah…anyways I’ll check up on him during the day but best leave him be for now.”

“Okay Hosea, thank you for informing me.”

“Of course,” Hosea says as he walks away and lets out a sigh.

Over the next few days, news spread about Mary and everyone shows Arthur support in their own way. Dutch didn’t say much about it to Arthur though, and seemed to like to pretend she never even existed. He was probably relieved Arthur no longer had the distraction if Hosea had to guess.

And well, Arthur started working harder than ever much to everyone’s surprise, and Dutch’s delight.

To everyone else they probably thought he just wanted to keep his mind off of Mary…which was probably partly true. But to Hosea he knew Arthur was working himself ragged to chip away at the guilt he had buried deep inside from almost leaving the gang.

It looked like things would hopefully turn back to normal soon enough. Though Hosea doubted Arthur would ever truly be the same again.

**********

Mary spent the next seven months in utter misery. As soon as her stomach started to show her father put her on strict house arrest.

With limited ways to keep herself busy, her mind spiraled down a dark path that she could never escape. All she did was repeatedly relive the terrible night she broke Arthur's heart. The guilt slowly ate away at her until she felt like nothing but a hollow shell.

And as time passed her belly grew. Every movement she felt within her womb was a stabbing reminder that she would not get to keep her and Arthur's baby.

Their child was going to grow as an orphan, never knowing the truth about his or her parents.

If Arthur knew she gave his child away like a piece of discarded trash, to live out their days as an orphan like him, he would hate her even more than he does now.

The day finally came when she felt the labor pains begin.

She almost felt lucky because her father happened to be at an overnight business trip and wasn’t due back until the next day. Maybe that meant she could at least spend a few hours with her child before it was ripped away from her forever.

Her younger brother Jamie was sent to retrieve the midwife, who Mr. Gillis paid handsomely in advance to keep this little secret to herself. And a long time employee of the Gillis household named Emily kept Mary company during her labor.

The midwife arrived and her and Emily began helping Mary through the labor process. The midwife was a kind woman who was well aware of the plans for the child after birth, so she tried to show as much support and kindness to Mary as possible. But her constant look of pity was almost enough to make Mary scream at her to leave.

She progressed slowly and spent hours screaming in pain as the contractions grew stronger and stronger. Eventually she couldn’t do anything but sob. The pain of labor, of knowing she would lose her child, and of remembering how she lost Arthur all hitting her at once. The pain and misery were so strong she barely felt human anymore.

Finally it was time to push. She screamed and held tight to Emily’s hand. She felt the baby start entering the world as the midwife kept instructing her to push.

After about a half hour of pushing the baby finally came out and immediately let out a shrill cry.

Mary fell back against the bed, exhausted and relieved the delivery was over. The midwife started wiping down the baby.

She looked to Mary. “It’s a girl,” she says with sadness in her eyes and a sympathetic smile.

Mary weakly lifted her head and her hands with tears streaming down her face. “Please. I want to see her.”

The midwife hesitated. “I don’t think that’s a good idea Mary. You…you don’t want to get attached,” she says delicately.

Before Mary can respond Emily yells, “Just let her hold her baby for pity’s sake!”

Mary thanks her lucky stars for Emily just then. She’s not sure she is strong enough to put up a fight right now.

The midwife silently finished cleaning and wrapping the baby, then the two women help Mary sit up.

They hand her the now calm baby and Mary clutches her close and lets in a shaky breath when she finally sees her.

“She…she looks just like him,” Mary whispers as she takes in the baby’s features and notices her tufts of blonde hair, blue eyes, and full lips.

“She is beautiful Mary,” Emily tells her while wrapping her arms around her shoulders and hugging her while Mary lets out a few quiet cries.

“She looks just like him,” Mary repeats sounding lost and quieter this time.

They deliver the afterbirth and she spends a few more minutes admiring the baby when suddenly the silence is broken by a loud noise downstairs. Soon they can hear heavy foot steps up the stairs and Mary knew it was her father.

Her body filled with dread and she clutched her little girl tightly.

Mr. Gillis barges in suddenly and takes a moment to scan the room before his eyes land on the bundle in Mary’s arm. He looks at the midwife angrily and command her to, “take it from her.”

The midwife nods once then reaches to take the baby from Mary.

She gets a wild look in her eyes and screams, “NO!” while trying to keep the baby from the midwifes reach.

Mr. Gillis bellows out her name and glares at her. Silently commanding her to obey.

But she is ready to fight.

“No! I won’t let you take her from me! I won’t!” She’s becoming hysterical.

Her voice breaks as she continues to sob and yell. “Please Daddy! She’s my baby! My daughter, YOUR granddaughter! I’ll do anything please, please! Don’t take my baby from me! I’ll do anything! Just let her stay! I’ll take care of her! We don’t even have to say she’s my daughter! PLEASE DADD-”

“STOP!” He finally yells over her.

He pauses as he takes in the scene of his hysterical daughter before him, clutching the bundle for dear life and still letting out sobs and quiet pleas.

Finally,

“Fine! Have it your way! But you are solely responsible for her and she is to only know and refer to you as ‘Aunt Mary.’ If anyone asks, you tell them she is the orphaned daughter of a cousin from your mother’s side that I so charitably agreed to take in after her parent's untimely demise on a ship lost at sea. You are never to tell her, or anyone else otherwise! She is to be given the surname ‘Williams’ and will never know of the name Arthur. Morgan," he spat.

"And in a years’ time you will marry a suitable husband of my choosing. And if he wishes the child gone you will do it!”

He then looks to the other two women in the room. “I don’t think I need to tell you what will happen to either of you if you breathe a word of this to anyone, right?”

They both nod their heads, not daring to speak.

“Good.” He looks to Mary.

“Keep that thing out of my sight as much as possible.” Then leaves and slams the door shut.

Mary lets out a half sob, half laugh of relief as she cradles the now fussy baby to her. Emily rubs her back in comfort and the midwife begins to clean up. 

A few moments later the door creaks open slowly and Jamie’s young face pops through.

Mary sees and smiles, “It’s okay Jamie you can come in.”

He quietly enters and slowly closes the door behind him and approaches the bed, straining his neck to look at the baby.

Mary invites him to sit on the bed so he can get a closer look.

“I heard what daddy said to you,” he says quietly. “You get to keep her right?”

Mary smiles, “Yes I get to keep her but she won’t know I’m her momma. But I guess I can deal with that if it means she stays.”

Emily speaks up, “I promise to help you in any way possible Mary.”

“Me too!” says Jamie.

Mary is overwhelmed with emotion.

“Thank you both. I’m just happy she's still in my arms.”

They spend a few more minutes admiring the baby and tending to Mary.

“Well if she’s staying with us, this little girl is going to need a name.” Emily says.

Mary is suddenly perplexed. She didn’t think of names at all, thinking the baby would be taken from her after birth. She takes a few moments to think, then she remembers. Arthur always spoke about how kind and beautiful his mother was before she passed away. And this little girl was the only piece of Arthur she had left. Not to mention she looked just like him. It’s perfect she thinks.

“Beatrice.” She says finally. After Arthur's mother.

Then she leans down to whisper to the baby, “The world will know you as Beatrice Williams. But, you are Beatrice Morgan. I’m your momma and your daddy is Arthur Morgan, the best man I have ever met.”

She knows this is the only time she can tell her daughter the truth with no consequences. Even if she won't remember it, she wants one of the first things her daughter to hear is the truth about her parentage. 

She kisses her head and thinks of Arthur. Silently promising him that she will do everything in her power to keep their daughter safe and happy. It’s the least she owes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it! A long ass prologue. It was really difficult for me write the dialogue and keep explaining the characters body movements and emotions. But I got through it. I didn't mention any specific places or names of other gang members because we really didn't know who was with them around this time other than the main boahs (and probably Grimshaw). 
> 
> I hated writing Mary being mean to Arthur but it had to happen :(
> 
> In case no one knows. Beatrice is actually his mothers name. I didn't just make that up. Also I know Mary has dark eyes and dark hair but as far as I can tell from the game, her brother Jamie did not. So it is entirely possible Mary has those recessive genes that allow the baby to look like Arthur with light hair and light eyes. 
> 
> I just have this section written for the story so far but if people are super interested I will try to write more ASAP.


	2. Colter - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is now stuck in Colter after the botched Blackwater job. Arthur is cranky as hell after a few trying days in the freezing snow. Charles takes it upon himself to drag Arthur away so they can hunt for some much needed food. They spend this time getting to know one another some more. Arthur is starting to realize he has feelings for Charles. 
> 
> Based on "The Aftermath of Genisis" mission but with different dialogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter - yay!
> 
> I was originally only going to do one chapter for Colter but it felt too long so I split it into two. So the second part is nearly done. Also in the second part we will check in with Mary. 
> 
> This chapter is basically just exploring Arthur and Charles' relationship and them learning more about each other. Next chapter is more fun I promise.

Arthur was freezing his balls off. He always disliked the cold but this…this was just pure misery.

It didn’t help that the gang was currently dealing with the aftermath of a massacre from a botched job. A botched job that got Davey and Jenny killed, John shot, Charles burnt, and Sean and Mac…well they still weren’t sure of their fates yet.

Arthur couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being part of the ferry heist. Maybe if he had, they would have had enough man power to beat back the Pinkertons. Or at least save someone from getting shot.

But instead, he was helping Hosea out with a real estate scam to steal money from corrupt and wealthy crooks in Blackwater. A scam which the pair planned to carry out a day after the ferry heist. A plan that had minimal chances of ending in an all-out battle that left several of their gang members dead and/or shot.

Hosea had warned Dutch against the ferry job but it fell on deaf ears. Micah had assured Dutch it would result in a huge pay load, and that was enough for him to carry out the plan without thinking it through.

_Look where that got us_ , Arthur thought miserably.

Hosea and Arthur were able to join in the tail end of the fight and help the gang make their escape into the mountains. Not without a few sacrifices though.

While Arthur was saddened by the loss of his fellow gang members, there was one death that struck his heart harder than the others.

Arthur stayed behind as long as possible to make sure the majority of the gang escaped. As he finally started to make a run from the onslaught of Pinkertons and lawmen, his beloved Boadicea was shot from underneath him.

His mind immediately went to her as soon as he felt himself tumble into the hard ground. He didn’t even hesitate to crawl/run to her direction when he finally stopped rolling in the dirt. It was like all the chaos around him was muted when he reached her and saw the fatal wound to her side. She was still alive though, looking at him with wild and scared eyes. He knew she wouldn’t make it but that didn’t stop him from cradling her head and frantically urging her to try to get up. He couldn’t shake off the shock that his horse for over 15 years was going to die. She had been part of the gang for longer than most of its members. She was like a family to Arthur.

_She…_

His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard someone yell his name above him. Then he felt a strong hand grab the collar of his jacket and pull him up.

Just like that, the noise of the world came alive again and he was thrown back into the pandemonium. Charles had hauled Arthur up and urged him onto his horse, Taima. Once Arthur was seated behind him Charles spurred Taima forward.

Charles rode while cradling his burnt hand and yelled at Arthur to shoot their pursuers.

Arthur finally snapped out of his shock, clutched Charles’ waist with one hand, and turned to shoot with his other. After taking out the rest of their enemies he took one last glance in the distance at Boadicea lying lifeless on the ground.

He turned back around and clutched Charles with both hands as they raced to catch up to the others.

Arthur bent his head for a moment and harshly whispered, “Dammit” into Charles’ back as they rode farther away from the bloodbath behind them.

People may think it’s strange for him to mourn a horse the way he now mourns Boadicea. But, she had been with Arthur through the most important years and events in his life. She never panicked in shootouts and was extremely loyal to Arthur no matter the situation. To Arthur, she felt more like a partner in crime than just his getaway ride. He was sure he would never have a bond like that again with a horse. 

_Just one more thing I love, gone forever._ Arthur bitterly thought while shivering in the freezing mountain air.

He was cranky, cold, and exhausted.

Just after leading the gang to Colter he was dragged away by Dutch back into the frigid air where they stumbled upon Micah who then led them into a gunfight with some dirty O’Driscolls. They won of course, and found a few supplies as well as the unfortunate Mrs. Adler.

Then there was the hunt to find John. Which Arthur later felt guilty about not wanting to go after realizing John was knocking on deaths door by the time him and Javier pulled him from that snowy ledge. Arthur was still bitter towards John for leaving the gang, and wife and child, for a year. But, he certainly did not want his brother dead.

It was safe to say Arthur had a rough couple of days that left him more than a little irritated and hostile.

Now he had to listen to Pearson complain about their lack of food because he only managed to grab booze in their frantic escape instead of actual life sustaining provisions.

Charles noticed Arthur and Pearson talking and walked over to see what was going on.

Within two minutes Arthur insulted Pearson by: telling him it was unfortunate he survived being stranded at sea in the navy, suggested they eat him if they run out of food ‘cause he’s the fattest,’ and called him a moron for sending out Bill to hunt instead of someone who actually knew what they were doing.

Charles knew the telltale signs of a moody Arthur and finally decided to put a stop to his tyranny.

“Enough of this, Arthur and I will go find something.”

Arthur looked to Charles. “We will?”

“Yes, c’mon Arthur.” He turned to walk towards the horses but stopped when Arthur spoke up.

“But you’re hurt.” Arthur gestured to his hand. “You need to rest Charles,” Arthur said with authority.

He surprised himself though when he said it. He’s pretty sure if it had been anyone else, he would have told them to get a move on – injured or not. But Arthur was genuinely concerned for Charles’ wellbeing.

Over the last few weeks, Arthur had started to realize that Charles was often on his mind. He was always wondering what Charles was up to, what he was thinking…Something about him just made Arthur feel…. That’s about as far as he got. He didn’t know how to interpret these feelings yet. They felt foreign to him, yet maybe a little familiar.

“We’ll all be resting in our graves soon if we don’t get food Arthur. Now c’mon. I’ll track the food, you shoot it.” He didn’t wait for a response before heading for the horses again. Silently beckoning Arthur to follow.

Now normally, people wouldn’t question Dutch van der Linde’s most loyal protégé when he tells you to do something…but Charles.

Charles didn’t fall for Arthur’s tough guy attitude and had no qualms talking back to him. Maybe it was because he had only been with them for six months and didn’t yet fully understand the dynamic of the gang or its members, or maybe he could just see through Arthur’s bullshit. Either way, Arthur always found Charles,’ _I don’t give a shit what you think,_ attitude admirable. Even when it was directed towards him.

Ever since Mary, Arthur subconsciously developed his now abrasive personality to keep people at a distance. Because, if he kept people at a distance, he would care less about them, and if he didn’t care then he couldn’t be hurt. At least, that’s what his thought process was.

But Charles challenged every notion of that idea when he continued to hang around Arthur whether Arthur acted like an asshole or not.

So, at Charles’ command Arthur followed him into the crisp wintery air once more.

He’s pretty sure he will never feel warm again at this point anyways.

They mounted up and Charles handed him a bow and some arrows.

“Oh, we’re using this then,” said Arthur nervously, taking them from Charles.

“Yeah. We use a gun; we scare off the only game around for miles. Is there a problem?”

“Uh no…just ain’t had much practice is all.”

Indeed the only practice Arthur had was when Charles took him hunting a few weeks back to try and show him a thing or two with tracking wildlife. When they stumbled upon an overly oblivious rabbit, Charles insisted Arthur try the bow just to see what it’s like.

Now, Arthur doesn’t remember what holding the bow and releasing the arrow felt like. But he remembers Charles crouched down behind him, almost pressing his entire body into Arthur’s back. He remembers Charles’ deep soothing voice whispering in his ear, instructing him on how to properly hold the bow and nock the arrow. And he remembers Charles’ hands gently moving along his body to position his arms, shoulders, and hips to get that perfect shot.

Perfect shot right into a bush five feet away from the rabbit he was supposed to be aiming for.

At least Arthur could blame his blushing face on embarrassment for missing the shot instead of…well Arthur can still feel the ghosts of Charles’ hands as he holds the bow once more.

“You’ll be fine Arthur. You already have some experience so that helps.” Charles assured him with a smile.

Arthur cleared his throat and pulled his hat down to hide his rapidly blushing face. “Alright then Charles, lead on I guess.”

Arthur rode behind Charles during their journey. Watching the back of his head and letting his mind wander as Charles searched for any signs of wildlife. Arthur noticed Charles had a hood up to protect himself from the cold. And he found himself hating it.

_Can’t even see his hair with his stupid hood covering it._ Arthur thought.

Then. _Why am I thinking about Charles’ hair of all things?! Well I mean, in all fairness anyone with eyes can see that it is nice looking. Shiny, smooth, long. Wonder what it would feel like to…_

“So how is that horse treating you?” Charles asked referring to the Tennessee Walker Arthur picked up from the Adler ranch.

Arthur was whiplashed back into reality.

“Oh uh, fine I guess.” He grimaced at himself. _Real smooth idiot._

“I’m sorry about what happened to Boadicea.” Charles continued.

Arthur felt a jolt of anguish at the mention of Boa, but tried to bury it.

“Thanks Charles. She…she was a good horse.”

“Hosea said you had her for close to 15 years. It must have been hard to lose her in an instant after all that time. I’m sure you had a great bond. Seemed real good in a fight too.”

Charles was trying to coax Arthur into opening up a bit more. He knew how important Boadicea was to Arthur and that he had yet to properly mourn her with all the turmoil going on. Aside from that, it’s not like anyone else was going to console Arthur about his loss. He swears Arthur is nearly invisible to the rest of gang until needed for a menial task or reckless job.

Though Charles tried, Arthur wasn’t so willing to open up about losing Boadicea.

“Yeah, I doubt I’ll find another like her.”

He clears his throat. “By the way, thanks for pulling me out of there when she went down. You didn’t have to do that…put yourself at risk just to save my sorry hide.”

Charles was speechless for a second.

“Of course I did Arthur! I sure as hell wasn’t going to just leave you behind. You would do the same for me, or anyone else in the gang for that matter. Besides, you saved me just as much by taking out the men following us. With my hand the way it was I couldn’t shoot and ride at the same time. You had my back…literally.”

Arthur chuckled at that.

“Ha, yeah I guess we make quite the team don’t we.”

“Sure do.” Charles smiled. He then stopped when he noticed some fresh tracks in the snow ahead.

“Alright Arthur, I see some tracks ahead. Grab the bow and we’ll leave the horses here so they don’t spook any animals away.

“Sounds good,” said Arthur as he dismounted and followed Charles.

*****************

Arthur can say with surety that this hunting trip with Charles was exceptionally better than their last trip. For one, he actually killed something this time. He was able to take down not just one, but two deer with only one shot each.

It helped that Charles kept his distance while Arthur focused on his shots. No distracting hands touching his body and making him flush.

Arthur felt relief knowing they had a way to feed the gang, and gratified with the look of pride on Charles’ face when he made the successful kills.

Now that they each had a deer strapped to their horse it was time to head back.

“Ready when you are,” said Arthur when he mounted up.

“C’mon then. Let’s head back.” Charles responded. 

They rode in comfortable silence until Charles spoke up.

“You did well back there Arthur. Now we have plenty to feed the camp. Plus the two mouths we picked up in the last few days,” Charles said referring to Mrs. Adler and the O’Driscoll boy. 

“One mouth.” Arthur corrected. “We ain’t feedin’ the O’Driscoll a damn thing until he talks.”

“What is it with you all and the O’Driscolls?” asked Charles.

“Ah, well I guess you don’t really know since you’ve only been with us for six months and we haven’t run into them in a while. We just have a lot of bad history with them over the years.”

Arthur thought for a moment, then continued.

“They aren’t like us Charles. Their leader Colm is…well he doesn’t really give a shit about his men, just cares about numbers. We may not be good people but at least we treat each other like family. Colm doesn’t like when we kill his men just because of the sheer inconvenience of having less man power. But, when he goes after one of us…well we take it real personal.

“Years ago Dutch and Colm actually worked together on jobs. But then Dutch killed Colm’s brother. Bastard had it comin’ though. He tried to take out Dutch during a job so they wouldn’t have to split the loot. Dutch acted in self-defense but that didn’t matter to Colm.

“He got revenge by…killing someone very important to Dutch, to all of us really. Anabelle. And since then it’s been a never-ending war between us. The worst part is Colm didn’t even give a shit about his brother, just wanted revenge for the pure fun of it. But Dutch cared more about Anabelle than anyone else. Her loss was real hard on us all.”

“Jesus. I had no idea Arthur.”

“Yeah, like I said. We have history with them.”

“So exactly how long have you been with Dutch? I know it’s a while but…” Charles trailed off.

“Oh about 20 years now I think. He and Hosea picked me up when I was just a kid on the street. Taught me how to read, write, shoot. John too.”

“20 years?!” Charles sounded astonished. “And you never left once? Or considered leaving?”

Arthur wanted to lie and say _no_. But for some reason he didn’t have it in him to hide the truth from Charles. His gut was telling him Charles was worthy of his trust.

“Actually, I uh did almost leave…once. To be with a woman. Mary.”

“Really? What happened?”

“Well it’s kind of a long story. Mary was from a well-to-do family that always looked down on me and my unseemly livelihood. But despite the fact we came from two different worlds we still loved each other. And after a little while of seeing each other in secret I proposed, and she accepted. But we knew we had to escape before her family found out, so we made a plan to meet at the train station on a specific date and slip away into the night.

“When that night came I snuck away from camp with my packed bag while everybody slept. Didn’t tell no one I was leaving. Just left the only family I knew behind for a woman I known less than a year. Rode to the train station, saw Mary, but she had changed her mind.

“Apparently at her father’s request she had been courtin’ with some other man, and she decided she would be better off marrying him instead. Said she couldn’t deal with my outlaw ways and I couldn’t handle her societal expectations.

“After that I just…hauled ass back to camp hoping no one had even noticed I left. I made it back before dawn but Hosea had already seen the note I left behind.

“He’s…the only one who knows the truth about that night. And I guess you too now. He helped me keep it secret from everyone, even Dutch. I vowed to stay loyal to the gang from then on. I almost lost the only family I had because of one stupid decision. So yeah, after that I never left again or even considered leaving.”

Charles didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t believe Arthur shared something so personal with him, that only one other person knew. It made Charles feel special, like Arthur trusted him so deeply he allowed him to know his most vulnerable secret. A secret which unlocked the mystery that is Arthur Morgan.

Now he understood how Arthur became one of the gangs most devoted members. And why he seems to push people away. He was betrayed by someone he loved, and thought loved him back. And now Arthur kept himself closed off from any affection at all to save himself from reliving that pain.

At that moment Charles wished for nothing more than to make Arthur realize he was worthy enough to have that sort of bond with someone again. Someone who wouldn’t abandon him when things got tough. And that pushing people away and being alone wasn’t going to make him any happier.

“Damn Arthur. That’s…I’m sorry that happened to you. This Mary woman sounds like she wasn’t worth your time in the end. I mean, if she was willing to let you go so easily for another person who knows how your life would have ended up if you had actually left with her. You’re a good man Arthur, you should be with someone who accepts you the way you are.”

“Heh well, she was right about one thing. I don’t think I can ever give up the outlaw life and be happy. I see now we were never meant to have a life together. Just too different I guess. Anyways, that was the last serious relationship I had. Don’t really bother with that stuff now. Easier to be alone, in the end.”

Charles hummed in response. “You know before I joined up with you lot I used to run it alone. It was a miserable time. No one to have your back if you get into trouble, always wondering if someone’s gonna kill you in your sleep. Now the only thing I worry about when I sleep is how loud Bill’s snores will be.” Charles chuckled then looked back at Arthur and continued.

“This suits me, being part of the gang. Being alone may be easier in some instances, but I can tell you from experience it doesn’t make a better life. I don’t ever want to be alone like that again.”

Arthur smiled at him, “Well now you don’t have to be.”

They rode peacefully for a few more minutes, eventually approaching a frozen lake. Then Charles brought up what was on his mind.

“You know Arthur, I notice you distance yourself from the others, make it seem like you don’t care. But I know you do…care that is. Deeply. About the whole gang. You don’t have to keep pushing everyone away. Like I said, being alone may feel easier but it certainly doesn’t make life better.”

_Damn this man is ballsy,_ thought Arthur.

No one else would have the mind to say such things to him. But Arthur knew he couldn’t deny what Charles said.

He let out a sigh. “Of course I care about the gang Charles. I would take a bullet for any one of them - well except maybe Micah.”

He struggled with what to say next. “I…I just don’t really-”

He was suddenly cut off by a monstrous roar to his left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it. A nice little cliffhanger for ya. 
> 
> I had to re-watch their hunting mission together when I wrote this and they are so adorable in it. Arthur actually told Charles he needed to rest in the game and Charles was like nah fuck you, lets go hunt. Gotta respect his 'no fucks given' attitude, especially towards Arthur :D


	3. Colter - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles and Arthur return from their eventful hunting trip. Arthur asks Charles an important question.
> 
> We check in with Mary and little Beatrice :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, Colter Part 2. Next will be Horseshoe Overlook. 
> 
> Mary is reintroduced into the story in this chapter.

The two men and their horses looked towards the noise only to see a giant grizzly bear charging full speed in their direction.

“Shit!” Arthur yelled before his horse let out a panicked whinny and threw him off into the cold snow and ran off.

“Arthur!” Charles yelled from atop Taima who was dancing around, but not startled enough to throw her rider or run away.

As soon as Arthur flipped onto his back a massive weight landed on him.

He threw his arms up in defense and suddenly his vision was filled with nothing but sharp teeth and fur. He did his best to wiggle away from the bears onslaught of teeth and claws but could barely move under the massive weight.

The growls and snarls were deafening this up close. He could barely make out Charles calling his name.

Then gunshots. The bear briefly stopped his attack, stood on his hind legs and let out a mighty roar.

Arthur took this opportunity to reach for his knife and pull his arms back up for defense. Before he could try to scramble away the bear had fallen upon him once more, swiping his huge paw along Arthur’s left bicep. Arthur let out a yell of pain.

Charles kept yelling his name and shooting the beast. When the bear looked up briefly at Charles, Arthur stabbed his knife repeatedly into its throat.

The bear let out a few cries before fully collapsing onto Arthur, lifeless.

Arthur couldn’t move from the weight and was slowly losing oxygen as he tried his best to shift from underneath the mass of fur.

Soon Chalres’ hands were on him.

“Hang on Arthur! I am going to get you free.”

He hooked his arms under Arthur's armpits then pulled, grunting with the effort.

“C’mon Arthur, you gotta help me out here. Lift it as hard as you can!”

Arthur used the rest of his strength to do as Charles said and soon he could feel himself being dragged backwards out from underneath the bear.

Charles pulled until Arthur was free and the pair collapsed backwards into the snow. Both panting hard from the exertion. Charles still holding Arthur close to his chest.

Once Arthur finally caught his breath all he could say was “shit” and let out a few chuckles of relief.

“Must have smelled the dead deer and followed us. Are you okay?” Charles asked between breaths.

“Yeah I think so, got a good swipe at my arm though.”

Arthur let his head fall back against Charles, exhausted and welcoming the feeling of his embrace after such a traumatic event.

Charles’ arms had somehow ended up wrapped around Arthur’s torso and he gave Arthur a comforting squeeze before letting him go and moving to kneel by his side. Arthur just laid back in the snow too drained to move, missing the warmth from his companion. 

Charles inspected his arm.

“Looks like your jacket took most of the damage. I don’t think the scratches are too deep. But we can take a better look back at camp.”

“Damn. I really like this jacket. Grimshaw is gonna be furious if I ask her to mend another piece of clothing for me,” Arthur said while still making no move to get up.

Charles chuckled and collapsed next to Arthur. They lay side by side in the snow, letting the adrenaline slowly wear off.

“Of course you’d be worried about that after almost getting eaten by a bear. I know how to mend clothes. Something I had to learn while travelling alone. I can fix it for you, and even show you how so you don’t have to keep asking others to do it.”

“Thanks Charles…I really owe you. You saved my life yet again.”

“Of course, Arthur.”

They laid in the snow for a few more peaceful moments just watching the snowflakes fall around them.

Charles turned his head toward Arthur.

“You know, I really thought it was gonna kill you. And I was gonna have to drag your corpse back to camp and explain to Dutch and Hosea how their son was killed by a damn bear. And how I wasn’t able to save you. I don’t think the gang could take another loss right now. Especially if it was you.”

Arthur didn’t know what to say. Just looked up into the grey sky letting his mind go blank for a minute.

“That damn horse,” he said finally.

Charles laughed at the sudden change of subject. “He was scared Arthur, you can’t blame him.”

Arthur huffed but didn’t say anything more.

 _Boa wouldn’t have thrown me off,_ he thought bitterly. Then he heard a noise to his right and he turned his head to see his horse walking towards him, head hung low.

“Speak of the devil,” said Arthur.

His horse sauntered up to him and started nosing Arthur’s face and chest.

“I think he’s trying to say sorry,” Charles said amused.

Arthur lifted his arm and pat the horse’s face.

“Alright, Alright, I forgive ya boah.” _Should really think of a name for him at some point._

Charles took a moment to take in the endearing scene before finally moving to get up.

“Alright that’s enough excitement for one day I think. C’mon Arthur, lets head home. Still gotta feed that hungry mob.” He offered his hand to help Arthur up.

He grabbed it gratefully and let Charles pull him to his feet.

“Alright then, home it is.”

They made it back without further incident and delivered the deer to Pearson who was relieved to finally have something to feed the gang with. Arthur and Charles even helped Pearson skin them.

“You know Mr. Morgan, you can sell these pelts for quick cash. Especially if they’re in good condition.”

“Yeah, I know Pearson. I’m not a damn idiot.” Arthur replied annoyed.

That was Charles’ cue to take Arthur away from Pearson’s station ASAP. He was already exceptionally cranky _before_ he got attacked by a bear, now his mood was colder than the weather outside.

He may have also been a little more than annoyed that his alone time with Charles came to an end. Even if it was…eventful.

“C’mon Arthur, lets go deal with that arm of yours.”

Since Arthur was such a prominent member of the gang Ms. Grimshaw set him up in his own cabin. Well, more of a shack really but he had a small fireplace. And his own space. And he got to rub it in Micah’s stupid face after he openly complained about the sleeping arraignment when he found out Arthur got his own room and he didn’t.

Now the two men could work in Arthur’s cabin without being bothered by any of the others. Arthur sure as shit didn’t want news of the bear attack to spread around camp. Especially to Marston. Bastard would never let him live it down after Arthur gave him so much crap about the wolves.

They sat on his cot as Charles pulled out what supplies they would need. They were lucky Arthur had a bottle of whiskey stashed away that they could use to clean the wound.

Arthur noticed Charles took off his hat and hood so now he could see his hair again. He sat there admiring it as Charles kept his head bent, focusing on getting their supplies in order. A strand fell in Charles’ face and Arthur had to resist the urge to brush it away for him. Then Charles lifted his head and Arthur found himself staring straight into Charles’ eyes. They maintained eye contact for a moment before Charles nodded towards his arm.

“Alright take your jacket off so we can see the damage.”

Arthur broke out of his trance and did as he was told, shivering as he removed his main layer of protection against the cold. The small fire they started did little to warm him in any way.

Charles inspected the scratches.

“Hmm they’re not deep enough to need stitches so that’s good. Definitely faired better than John with those wolves. Seriously, how is it both of you get attacked by wild predators within days of each other?”

“Just lucky I guess,” said Arthur with a huff and continued to shiver against his will.

Charles must have noticed.

“C’mon Arthur lets move closer to the fire so you don’t freeze to death.”

He didn’t bother putting up a fight. Just grunted in agreement and moved to the floor in front of the fireplace.

Charles picked up the supplies and moved next to Arthur.

Arthur was still pretty cold with a slight tremble and kept his limbs tucked close to his body.

Charles smiled at him. “Come closer Arthur, I can try to share some of my body warmth. I know you’re cold, and I need to clean and bandage your arm.”

Arthur hesitated a moment then shuffled closer to Charles until they were almost pressed together.

Charles used some whiskey to clean the scratches then when he was done Arthur motioned for him to hand it over.

“Maybe this will warm me up,” Arthur said before taking a swig. He also needed something to calm his nerves as he became hyper-aware of Charles' hands gently touching his arm. 

Charles just chuckled and finished bandaging Arthur’s arm.

“There. All done.” Charles leaned back to inspect his work.

Arthur took another swig of whiskey while staring at Charles who was fidgeting with Arthur’s bandage. He took one more sip, trying to build up the courage to ask Charles something very important.

“Thank you, Charles. I really appreciate your help in all this. You’ve kept me from dying several times in the last few days. I really owe ya.”

Charles nodded. “Of course, Arthur. I’m happy to do it. And you don’t owe me a thing. You’ve done enough just by letting me stay with you all. And you do plenty for the gang, including myself.”

Arthur could feel his face start to grow warmer. Though he wasn’t sure if it was from the whiskey, the compliments, the touching, or the nervousness running through his body. Maybe all of the above. 

“Well I still want to repay you. I, um…I was thinking…that maybe you might want to stay in here for a while? I mean…for the rest of the time we’re stuck on this hell mountain. You can sleep in here…with…me.”

Arthur didn’t even wait one second for Charles to reply before blurting out, “It’s just that I have the space, you can set your bedroll up next to my cot. And I’ve got a fireplace so you’ll be warmer. And I know you said Bill snores and I don’t snore so you’ll probably sleep better. Also, I know Micah’s a racist piece of shit so I’m sure you don’t wanna keep bunking with him. And well…”

If Charles was stunned, he didn’t show it. If anything he remained clam and collected on the outside and nodded at Arthur to continue.

“And well…?” Charles asked, encouraging Arthur to finish his thought. 

“And well…I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. About…being alone. And I don’t want you to feel alone anymore. We can watch each other’s backs you know?”

Charles gave a small smile. He said ‘each others’ which means maybe Arthur doesn’t want to be alone anymore either, but was probably too scared to say it outright.

“Sure Arthur, I think that sounds like a good idea.”

“You…you do? I mean…that’s great. Um…”

Charles interrupted his pause. “I can go gather my things and come back. Then maybe I can show you how to mend your jacket?”

“Oh okay, yeah. Sounds good.” He smiled.

He watched Charles exit the cabin, then buried his head in his hands and groaned.

_You fucking idiot! What the hell was that?!_

He sat there in shock as he slowly started to come to terms with the fact that he has a crush on Charles. And he’s actually doing something about it.

This freaked him out for several reasons.

For starters, he hadn’t explored any sort of relationship since Mary, and he told himself he never would. Also, Charles was a man. Sure, Arthur had been with men before. Only sexually though, and they were one-night stands in saloons. He had never actually tried to have a serious relationship with one. That was risky for several reasons. Also, he didn’t even know if Charles was into men either, or if he even liked Arthur to the same capacity Arthur liked him.

But…he wasn’t pushing Arthur away so that was good right?

_Shit. I have no idea what I’m doing._

Charles was on his way back to Arthur’s cabin with his stuff when he ran into Hosea.

“Shit, you’re not leaving us are you?” asked Hosea when he saw Charles caring his belongings.

Charles gave him a reassuring smile. “Of course not Hosea. Arthur asked me if I wanted to share his cabin space with him for the rest of the time we’re here and I accepted. Better than listening to Bill snore and Micah complain.”

Hosea was shocked. “Arthur asked you to stay with him?”

“Uh huh.”

“Arthur…Morgan?”

“Yes?”

“Hold on. Arthur. Morgan. Asked you. If you wanted to stay with him?”

“Hosea…” Charles whined. How may times did he have to say it? 

“Okay sorry, sorry. It's just surprising is all. Arthur usually likes his solitude. Um…carry on son.”

“Okay Hosea. See ya around.”

Hosea watched Charles’ retreating form as he headed for Arthur’s cabin. If he wasn’t so old and cold he would have leaped for joy. Instead, he grinned like an idiot.

That night found Charles and Arthur huddled close to the fire again. They had Charles’ bedroll wrapped around them both to try and trap their collective body heat. Arthur’s jacket was laid between both their laps so they could work on mending it. They laughed as Arthur made pathetic attempts at sewing after Charles showed him how. Eventually Charles took the jacket from him and finished the job out of pity.

Meanwhile, they passed their whiskey bottle back and forth to try and stay warm, and to loosen up a bit. They swapped stories and joked around until Arthur started dozing off, his head bobbing up and down on Charles’ shoulder.

Charles got the sleepy Arthur to move to his cot and he laid his now mended jacket on top of him for extra warmth. Then he settled in his bedroll.

Both men were dozing within minutes.

The rest of their stay at Colter was relatively uneventful.

Well except for the fact they robbed a train and stole a bunch of stuff from some rich asshole named Leviticus Cornwall.

Charles continued to stay in Arthur’s cabin, and any alone time they had was spent huddled around the fire. Sharing warmth and getting to know more about one another.

The time finally came when it was time for the gang to move on. Arthur was glad to get the hell out of the snow, but he was also disappointed his time sharing a room with Charles was over.

Arthur and Hosea were assigned to drive one of the wagons together. Once they were settled in their seats Hosea turned to Arthur and gave him an evil smirk.

He maintained eye contact with a confused Arthur while yelling, “Hey Charles! Why don’t you ride with Arthur and I over here!”

“Hosea!” Arthur hissed at him. But Hosea just continued to smile.

“Sure, I’ll ride with you.” Charles walked up and climbed into the back of the wagon.

“Excellent.” Hosea said with a satisfied grin.

They spent the next several hours on the ride to Valentine listening to Hosea’s most embarrassing stories about Arthur growing up with them. Arthur wanted to strangle Hosea with a rope. What’s worse was Charles was eating it all up like candy. Totally uncaring of Arthur’s crimson face and whines of protest.

But, Arthur thought it was _almost_ worth the mortification when he got to listen to hours of Charles’ laughter and see him grin wider than he’s ever seen before.

Still, Arthur was going to kill Hosea.

*************

“Aunt Mary! Aunt Mary!”

Mary looked to where a six-year-old Beatrice called her from her small desk.

“Yes, my little Honey Bea?” Mary said as she closed her book and rose from her chair to see what her daughter wanted to show her.

_Her daughter._

It was the undeniable truth destined to be hidden from the world. But no one could stop Mary from calling Beatrice her daughter in her thoughts. Her mind was the only place she had any free will these days.

Ever since Beatrice could talk she was conditioned to refer to Mary only as ‘Aunt Mary,’ and Mary would be lying if she said it didn’t feel like a stab to the heart every single time Beatrice called her that.

“What’s this word mean?” Beatrice asked Mary as she pointed to a spot from her Cinderella storybook.

Mary smiled and kneeled down to Beatrice, brushing her dirty-blonde hair back lovingly. She looked over her shoulder to see which word had confused her daughter.

“That says ‘reign’ which is another way to say rule. Like how a king rules over a kingdom.”

“Oh okay. Thanks Aunt Mary.” Beatrice smiled up at her with her beautiful blue-green eyes.

 _Just like Arthur._ Mary thought.

Indeed the little girl was almost the spitting image of her father. Something Mary had love-hate feelings towards. On one hand, Beatrice looking nothing like Mary made it easier to substantiate the lie that Beatrice was not actually her daughter. On the other, looking into her daughter’s eyes always brought her back to that dreadful night years ago when she broke her lover’s heart, and reminded her that she has kept this precious secret from Arthur. 

“Your reading is getting very good my little Honey Bea.” Mary praised softly while combing her fingers through her daughter’s long hair. 

It was true. Beatrice was quite smart for her age, and loved to read. But how could she not when she has been forcibly hidden from the outside world her entire life, and had nothing else to do but occupy herself with books. She was never allowed a tutor, but Mary had been teaching her to read and write since she was just a toddler, around the time they were forced to move back in with Mr. Gillis after the untimely death of Mary’s husband.

After Beatrice was a year-old Mary made good on her promise (well…forced promise) and she entered a relationship with a man named Barry Linton. Mary played her role of the perfect lady of society to not only appease her father but to also win over Barry’s heart so she could convince him to allow Beatrice to stay in her life.

It worked, and after only six months the two were wed and Mary and a one and half year-old Beatrice moved in with him. Even though Mary didn’t really love Barry she could at least say he was a decent man. He actually cared for Mary and wanted to have a life and family with her. He was also kind to Beatrice, but to Mary’s annoyance he would make his house staff look after her so that he could have Mary’s undivided attention. He also made it very clear that when she was of age she would be sent away for boarding school, which he would so graciously pay for.

Obviously, he only wanted to get the young girl out of the way without being cruel about it, but Mary agreed knowing she could do next to nothing to stop him without severe repercussions. At least her daughter would receive an education and she could visit during breaks.

Well that was the plan anyway. Until two years later when Barry developed pneumonia and died shortly thereafter. Forcing Mary and Beatrice back into the hands of Mr. Gillis who preferred to keep the girl out of sight and out of mind. Ever since then, Mary has been her sole caretaker and personal tutor.

A knock on the door draws Mary’s attention away from her daughter.

“Come in.”

Emily walks in smiling, holding a tray with drinks and food.

“Hello my lovelies. Just thought you two would like some refreshments while you read.”

 _Thank god for Emily,_ Mary thinks. She has been the biggest support throughout this whole ordeal.

Beatrice heads for the refreshments eagerly but Mary makes no move.

“What’s wrong Mary? Is your stomach still bothering you?”

Mary just nodded to her. Her stomach had been bothering her for a few weeks now. There was this small but consistent pain in her midsection. She had almost no appetite and was nauseous all the time. And lately she had been feeling quite fatigued no matter how much sleep she got. If she didn’t know any better she would have thought she was pregnant again. But, she knew that was impossible.

“Must be a bug I just can’t shake off. I’m sure it will go away soon.” Mary assured her.

“But you’ve been feeling ill for weeks now. And it’s only getting worse. Maybe you should see a doct-“

A loud crash downstairs interrupts her. The three girls freeze and listen as Mr. Gillis screams at nothing in a drunken rage.

“Well, father is home,” Mary says with a sigh. This is how most days were now. Mr. Gillis was slowly losing control of his family, money, and business and he was _angry._ Plus, he had been taking to the bottle more often than not ever since Jamie left.

Beatrice clutched Mary’s skirt, terrified that the raging Mr. Gillis would come into their small sanctuary and unleash his rage on all of them. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

“It’s okay. I’ll go speak with him,” Mary said calmly while trying to pry her daughter’s hands away, but she refused to let go.

“No! What if he hurts you Aunt Mary! Just stay here!” She was crying now. Absolutely terrified for Mary’s safety.

“It will be okay. I promise. Emily will watch over you.” She finally pried Beatrice’s hands off and passed her off to Emily who gave Mary a nervous glance.

“Be careful Mary.”

Mary nodded then quietly left the room to deal with her father.

Emily stayed with Beatrice and tried to get her to focus on her storybook again but it was hard with all the commotion going on downstairs.

Finally, it was quiet again and Mary re-entered the room looking sullen.

“Emily, I need to ask a huge favor of you. Could you look after Beatrice for a few days while I’m away? Please?”

Beatrice looked up in alarm. She didn’t want Mary to leave.

“Of course, Mary but why? What’s going on?”

Mary sighed and sat down.

“It’s Jamie. He sent us a troublesome letter and I think I need to go get him. My father is…very worried about him. I need to get him back home no matter what. I don’t know what he will do if I don’t.”

“Don’t leave me Aunt Mary!” Beatrice did not like this at all. She climbed into Mary’s lap and clung to her. Mary started stroking her hair.

“I promise I will be home as soon as possible Honey Bea. And Uncle Jamie will be with me. Don’t you want Uncle Jamie home again?” Mary said forcing a comforting smile on her face.

“Yeah…I guess so.” Beatrice said sadly.

Emily started comforting Beatrice as well.

“I promise to take good care of you Bea. I won’t let anything happen to you. Okay?”

Beatrice just nodded. Emily smiled and looked back to Mary.

“I’ll go pack your things. Where exactly are you headed?”

“Valentine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooooh Arthur has a crush on Chaaaaaarles (cue annoying 8th grade taunting). 
> 
> Also Pearson actually tells you about selling pelts in the game which I get is necessary info for the player but in my head I'm like...Arthur is a 35 year old outlaw. I think he would f*cking know that he can sell pelts for money. Sheesh. 
> 
> Also I don't remember if Arthur had his own cabin or not in Colter. I know he had his own room but for this story I just gave him his own little cabin because the boah deserves it. And so Charles can stay with him ;D
> 
> I did briefly touch on Mary's growing sickness in this chapter which will come into play later on.


	4. Horseshoe Overlook - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly developing Arthur and Charles relationship a bit more, as well as some of the gang members noticing their...closeness. 
> 
> No Mary in this chapter but next chapter will mostly be about her and a reunion with Arthur. 
> 
> Please see the end notes which explains why updates may slow down soon. I'm not giving up on the story though!

Arthur rode into camp at nightfall after a long strenuous couple of days. Absolutely exhausted and ready to collapse on his bed and let sweet, sweet sleep take him.

The camp had settled into their new home at Horseshoe Overlook just two weeks prior and already they had Arthur running around doing all sorts of errands and jobs. The most recent of which included breaking Micah out of Strawberry.

Then murdering half the damn town in the process.

The whole ordeal made Arthur irritable and downright pissed off. Not just at Micah, but at Dutch for making Arthur rescue that worthless scumbag at the price of so many lives no doubt worth more than stupid Micah.

He knew that if he had returned to camp immediately after that debacle, he would more than likely lose his temper and let Dutch have a piece of mind. That would be problematic for a number of reasons.

So instead, Arthur let all his anger out on the unsuspecting debtors of Mr. Strauss. The last of whom – Thomas Downes, didn’t even have their money and was knocking on deaths door to boot. After that unpleasant encounter Arthur was finally willing to head back to camp.

He rode up to the hitching posts and dismounted. His tired, achy body begged him to get some rest. He started untacking his horse when he heard footsteps approach.

“Finally back I see.”

He let out a sigh of content at the smooth, deep voice behind him then looked up to see Charles leaning against a nearby tree.

“Hey Charles.” He gave a small smile.

Charles smiled back then pushed away from the tree to walk towards Arthur.

“Thought I was going to have to track you down if you didn’t come back soon. How did the Micah thing go?”

Arthur puffed in annoyance. “Terrible. After I broke the bastard out he started an all out war in town. Had to kill half the population of Strawberry just to escape. All because that asshole wanted to get his precious guns back. The worst part…Micah didn’t even get shot or killed in the process. Now he says he’s gotta find a peace offering for Dutch before he comes back to camp. Pfff…whatever that means.”

Charles hummed. “Well at least he’ll be out of camp for a little while. Nice little vacation for the rest of us. So…how are you feeling? You look exhausted.”

“Oh I am. Tired. Hungry. Ready to kill Dutch for making me rescue Micah…”

“Well, there’s still some of Pearson’s stew left if you want a nice hot barely edible meal before you get your beauty rest.” Charles teased.

Arthur laughed. “Sounds good. Just gotta finish with Bear here, then I’ll grab some grub.”

He worked for a few more seconds before looking up at Charles’ silence.

Charles just looked at Arthur with a serious face. “…Arthur. Tell me you didn’t.”

“What?” Arthur drawled out, flicking his eyes between his horse and Charles. Playing innocent, but failing to hide is grin.

“Tell me you didn’t name your horse Bear, after what happened in Colter.”

Arthur suppressed his giggles. “Iss kinda funny I think…” Then gave Charles a sheepish smile.

Charles just stared at him judgingly with a ghost of a smirk on his face.

“Oh, lighten up Charles. Was plannin’ on selling him soon anyways, get an upgrade.”

“Sorry boah, no offense,” he said in apology to Bear then pat his side. 

Charles finally broke and let out a few chuckles. “Well you finish with _Bear_ here and I’ll go grab you some food, meet you by the fire.”

Charles started walking away shaking his head and muttering, “Christ, naming a horse Bear…”

Arthur snickered then yelled after him, “Thanks Charles!”

It had been like this since Colter. The two could seamlessly converse with one another without any lingering awkwardness. Now it felt like the two had been best friends since boyhood. 

He went back to working on Bear when another voice piped up. Only this one was raspy, and immediately filled Arthur with annoyance.

“Wow.” 

Arthur’s face deadpanned and he let out a big sigh then faced the new voice.

“What Marston?” he said shortly.

John stood there, rifle in his hand and smug look on his face.

“Nothin’, nothin’. Just passin’ through on my watch duty.”

“Uh huh.” Arthur was unamused.

John made no move to leave. Just kept looking Arthur up and down with a thoughtful look.

“Sooo…you kissed him yet er what?”

If looks could kill, John would be one dead sonuvabitch.

John threw his free hand up in mock surrender but still kept his smirk. “What? I’m just sayin’!”

“Well don’t.”

“C’mon Arthur. Why not go for it? Is it cause he’s a guy? Cause I know that never bothered you none before.”

“John…” Arthur warned dangerously, trying to focus on his task so he doesn’t strangle his brother instead. But John was not discouraged in the slightest.

“I mean, I used to cover for you all the time back in the day. Say you was with a workin’ girl when really you was with some feller in the alleyway doin’ god knows- 

“John!”

But he just kept going.

“Oh! Remember that time you ‘spent the night’ with that fancy chap in town. Then the next day you saw in the paper that he was the Mayor’s son! Oh man! And you kept insisting to Dutch and Hosea we leave town cause you thought he might recognize your voice when we robbed their stagecoach the next day. But you told them it was because the sheriff was onto us!”

John was almost in hysterics now.

“Shut it Marston! Unless you want another scar on yer face!” Arthur did not like to think back on his youthful stupidity. And damn him for letting little Jonny Marston be so informed on his sex life when they shared a tent in those early days.

John let his laughter die down. “C’mon Arthur, I’m serious. He obviously likes you back. He barely talks to anyone else but you. And you both keep smiling and making faces at each other. It’s kinda gross actually. Like watching two lovesick teenagers. And you haven’t really been with anyone serious since, you know…”

“You don’t know a damn thing Marston. Now fuck off will ya! Aren’t you supposed to be on guard duty?” Arthur was absolutely done with this conversation. And about one snarky comment away from punching John in the face.

“Fine, fine. I’m going.” He started walking away then turned around when he was a safe distance from his aggravated brother.

“Hey! Maybe if you and Charles fucked, you’d be less grumpy and stop making everyone else’s lives so miserable. Just sayin!”

_That’s it._

When John turned his back Arthur picked up the nearest rock and threw it as hard as he could. Right into Marston’s shoulder.

There was a distant thud then, “Ow! Dammit Arthur!”

He turned with a satisfied humph and made his way to the main fire.

Charles was already there waiting for him. Javier and Uncle were also sitting around the fire chatting idly.

He took a seat next to Charles but made a conscious note not to sit _too_ close to him. Especially in front of the others. Charles handed over his bowl of stew as Javier and Uncle offered their hellos to Arthur.

“So amigo, Charles was just telling us you had a hell of a time breaking Micah out of jail.”

“Tch, that’s putting it lightly. Look, I don’t want to talk about that damn fool anymore. Let’s just enjoy our peace and quiet without him while we can.”

“Ha, that peace and quiet may not last as long as you want. Charles and I are leaving first thing in the morning to meet Trelawny in Blackwater to see about a rescue operation for Sean. The camp will never be quiet again if- uh I mean…when we get him back.”

Arthur couldn’t help but look at Charles then. “Your leaving tomorrow?” Charles just nodded.

They both ignored Javier’s “Isn’t that what I just said?!” in the background.

_Damn._ He had just gotten back and now Charles was leaving.

Screw it, he was tired and ready to spend the next two days sleeping, but he wanted to be where Charles was.

“Well I can ride out with you guys too, I-”

“Mr. Morgan!” He was interrupted by the shrill voice of Ms. Grimshaw who was speedily walking in their direction.

“Oh, uh hey Susan. What can I do for you?”

She huffed in annoyance. “Well for one, I’m glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence again. I’ve been waiting for you to get back so I can tell you that Hosea needs you for a job. He wants you to meet him at Emerald Ranch at your earliest convenience,” she snarked.

Arthur just groaned. “Okay Susan, thanks for letting me know. I’ll head out at first light,” he said begrudgingly.

“Hmph, well alright then. Gentlemen.” She nodded her head then walked away.

“Damn! What a woman.” Uncle said lustfully while staring at Ms. Grimshaw’s retreating form.

“Gross Uncle!” Javier said in disgust. Then the two started bickering back and forth.

Charles turned to Arthur and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Sorry Arthur. You’ve only just got back and you’re being called away again.”

“Ya well, what else is new. I’ve turned into the damn errand boy.” He sat fuming while eating the rest of his stew.

The four continued to make small talk until Arthur was about to fall asleep in his seat.

“Alright gentlemen I’m hittin’ the hay.” He stood up then looked at Charles thoughtfully.

“You be careful out there in Blackwater. Place is crawling with Pinkertons and lawmen. Don’t get yourself shot or killed now.” He seemed to realize that he shouldn’t just be saying this to Charles, when Javier is sitting there too.

“Uh I mean, either of you. Y-you both stay safe alright? I’ll uh…try to meet you boys down there after my business with Hosea.”

He cleared his throat, “Um, night.” And walked away.

“Night Arthur.” Charles responded with a smile.

Javier just watched Arthur walk away until he reached his wagon. Then he snapped his head to Charles who was still smiling a little. Javier raised an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look.

Charles noticed his stare and dropped his smile. “What?”

“What was that?” He said slowly.

“What?”

“With Arthur! What was that?”

“I don’t know what you mean Javier. He seemed fine, well other than tired.”

“I think what Javier is trying to say…is what’s going on between you and Arthur?” Uncle chimed in.

Now it was Charles’ turn to give them a questioning look. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“You guys like each other.” Javier supplied bluntly.

“Uh well, sure, he’s become a close friend since I joined the gang.”

“Riiiiight.” Said Uncle.

Charles was getting annoyed now, and could feel his face heating up from what they were implying.

“Look, I don’t know what you guys are suggesting but I’m done with this conversation, and heading for bed. Javier I suggest you do too. We need to get up nice and early if we want to make it to Blackwater at a decent time.”

He didn’t wait for a response before getting up and walking away.

Javier and Uncle gave each other a knowing glance.

“Those two are sweet on each other.” Uncle said.

“Absolutamente.” Javier laughed.

************

“Well I’d say that was quite a success, wouldn’t you agree Arthur?”

“I suppose,” Arthur replied.

Arthur and Hosea were riding away from Emerald Ranch where they successfully established relations with a stagecoach fence by robbing the cousin (by marriage) of a ranch hand named Seamus. It definitely wasn’t the most alluring job they ever pulled off but it was fruitful nonetheless.

“Say Arthur. You ever notice how all our jobs together get carried out smooth as butter? I mean we got the brain,” Hosea gestures to himself, “and we got the brawn.” He gestures to Arthur. “That’s all we really need,” he joked.

Arthur let out a laugh. “Ya well, we tend to do the less charismatic, easy jobs. Dutch on the other hand…well, we all know he likes his jobs to be a little more…dramatic.”

“Ha! Truer words have never been spoken son. I’m still tore up about our forgotten scam in Blackwater. Would have been a nice, easy take if those boys didn’t get us run out the entire damn state.” 

Arthur just grunted in agreement. Then he remembered his conversation from the night before.

“Speaking of Blackwater, I told Javier and Charles I would try to meet them down there so we can see about rescuing that dumb Irish bastard. So, I won’t be riding back to camp with you.”

Hosea gave Arthur a side glance. “Charles will be there you say?”

Arthur knew where this was going. “Yes…what of it?”

“Nothing. I’m sure he’ll be glad to have you there. I can tell he’s grown real fond of you.” Hosea smirked to himself, letting Arthur insinuate what he wanted from that.

“Dammit Hosea…not you too.”

“What? I’m just saying it’s nice is all. For you to have a…a companion like Charles. You too get along real well.”

“Uh huh.” Arthur hoped this is where Hosea would drop the subject, but he wasn’t so lucky.

“So have you two-”

“Hosea please!” Arthur did not want to talk about this kind of stuff with Hosea. Especially when he’s never even told Hosea he likes men the same as he does women. It was taboo, not to mention illegal. Though to an outlaw that didn’t mean much.

“Oh c’mon Arthur, let’s talk like adults now. You don’t think I know you like men…in that way? Why, I remember that time we had to call off that stagecoach robbery because you slept with the Mayor’s son.” He was chuckling now.

Arthur’s face turned bright red. “You knew about that?!” he said flustered.

Hosea just laughed. “I’m not stupid son. Why do you think I was so adamant to Dutch that we listen to your lie that the sheriff was onto us?”

Arthur didn’t know what to say, but he suddenly had a newfound appreciation of Hosea for looking out for him. But also… _What else did he know about?_

“Look Arthur, I never discussed this with you because I knew it was a private matter for you. And to be honest, after Mary I didn’t think you would want to be with anyone again, man or woman. Especially with the way you keep yourself closed off.”

Arthur grimaced but said nothing.

“But I can see this thing between you and Charles becoming something very real. So, I guess, what I’m trying to say is…don’t be afraid. Just because your relationship with Mary didn’t work out, doesn’t mean you and Charles won’t. They are two very different people, and a relationship with Charles would be worlds different than the one you had with Mary. Not necessarily better or worse, but definitely different. So, you can’t let the past dictate your choices in this matter. You understand what I’m saying son?”

Arthur was trying to digest what Hosea was telling him.

“I guess. I just- I’m-” He let out sigh trying to figure out what to say.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing Hosea,” he said honestly.

“Ha! I’m afraid when it comes to matters of the heart, none of us do son. No, this is something you’ll have to navigate on your own. But, I can say this: Do not run away from it. If you think there’s any inclining of a possibility for you two to be together, you don’t give up on it, you don’t give up on him, and you don’t give up on yourself. Got it?”

“I-I get it Hosea, I think.”

“I just want you to be happy son.”

“I know…thanks Hosea, you always know what to say.”

“Ha, not always son. But I do my best.”

They continued riding until they reached a fork in the road.

“Alright old man, this is where we part.” Arthur steered Bear to the south.

“Okay Arthur, good luck down there! Try getting yourselves back in one piece.”

“No promises!” Arthur yelled then spurred Bear into a gallop.

He reached Blackwater in record time and rode up to where his compatriots were spying on the town below. He could hear Charles and Javier talking quietly to each other, assessing the number of Pinkterons and bounty hunters milling about.

Arthur bent down and crawled in between the two men, bumping shoulders with Charles as he did. As soon as he was next to him, it felt like everything was right in the world. Like he dropped a heavy weight he didn’t even know he was carrying.

“Hey.” Arthur said quietly to Charles.

“Hey Arthur, nice of you-” he turned around for a moment, “and _Bear_ to join us.”

Arthur just smiled and kept his gaze forward. “Give it a rest Charles,” he said playfully.

“Never.” Charles whispered right by his ear.

It sent shivers down Arthur’s spine. Hearing his tantalizing voice so intimately.

“Gentlemen.” Trelawny greeted as he returned from snooping around Blackwater.

_Right. Back to Business._

************

“I love you bastards…have fun. Have lots of fun!”

When Sean finished his drunken disaster of a speech the whole camp hooped and hollered as his return party kicked off for the night. Bottles were passed out and everyone seemed in high spirits.

Many songs were sung and laughter filled the air throughout the next few hours as each gang member became more and more tipsy.

Even Arthur joined in on a few songs and downed a couple bottles of booze after some cajoling from Sean.

He eventually found himself stumbling around camp after finding he had no interest in what everybody else was doing. No, he was only looking for one thing. Well, one person. But he was nowhere to be found.

After walking/tripping around the camp for a minute he stood in place scanning his surroundings, looking for any signs of the man in question. Which was hard considering his eyes refused to focus on one spot for more than a second.

“You looking for Charles?” a sweet voice said behind him.

“Tilly!” Arthur turned and yelled in greeting. “Ya, I um didn’t see ‘im around. Y’know where he’s at?”

She just giggled at his drunken state and pointed toward the scout fire. “He’s on guard duty. I tried to get him to join the party but he said no thanks.”

Arthur squinted in the direction of the scout fire, urging his eyes to focus on the spot in question. Sure enough he could see the lonesome figure of Charles sitting on a log by the fire.

“Thanks Tilly, you-you’re a good girl.” He went to pat her shoulder but missed and swiped the side of her arm instead, then turned around and made a beeline for the scout fire.

She laughed then yelled, “Good luck Arthur!”

He continued walking towards his target without really looking at his path. He’s pretty sure he almost stepped on a chicken or two. Then he passed some of the horses – he stopped for brief moment to look The Count in the eye and tell him he would never be forgiven for bucking him off all those years ago – then he carried on his merry way.

Charles watched in amusement as Arthur stumbled in his direction – _Wait did he just stop to talk to the horse? He must be more drunk than I thought._

Finally, Arthur made it to his destination.

“Hellooooo Charles.” Arthur grinned, wobbling a bit in his stance and adjusting his feet one too many times to keep himself upright.

“Uh oh, you’ve been drinking,” Charles teased.

Arthur just snorted, “E’rybody’s been drinkin’ Charles. ‘Cept you.”

“Well someone had to keep watch for you drunken fools,” Charles joked.

Arthur just made a ‘pff’ sound and walked over to where Charles was sitting on the log and plopped himself down on the ground by Charles’ legs, overshooting his landing and falling lopsided.

“Whoopsie!” Arthur said.

“Woah!” Charles laughed and caught him before he fully face planted into the ground. Then he lifted him up into a sitting position and let Arthur lean his upper body into his legs for support.

“So the party is going well I take it?”

Arthur shrugged. “I guess. Would be better with you though.”

“Ya well, I’m not much of a party person. Besides, you all have known Sean longer than me so I think it’s only fair for everyone else to celebrate and not have to worry about keeping watch.”

Arthur strained his head to look up at Charles. It was an awkward angle but he didn’t seem to notice, or care.

“Ya but…but Charles, you-you’re just as important as anyone else in this gang. Don’t matter how long you been with us. In fact, I-I’d say you’re worth at least five of those worthless bastards over there!” he vaguely gestured to the rest of camp then dropped his arm like it weighed a ton of bricks.

“Heh, thanks Arthur. Though you know the gang would be nothing without you.”

Arthur wanted to protest but instead he looked thoughtful for a moment then barked, “You’re probably right!” and started laughing.

He started to fall over again so Charles reached out and pulled him back to his side, laughing along with Arthur.

Their laughs died down and they sat in comfortable silence for a while. As Arthur grew more tired he pressed his head further and further into Charles’ leg, enjoying the contact and finding comfort in the closeness.

He knew in the back of his mind he was probably acting a bit too abrasive. But his drunk addled brain threw all inhibitions out the window. He was drowsy, and nuzzling his face into Charles felt good. That’s all there was to it in his mind.

“This is nice.” Arthur mumbled against Charles’ leg. 

Charles hummed in agreement. “You deserve to rest Arthur. You’ve been working non-stop for weeks now.” He smiled down at the crown of dirty blonde hair resting against him. He was fighting every urge to reach his hand down and caress Arthur’s head. But he wasn’t sure how Arthur would react, and he didn’t want to take advantage of his drunken state.

“No what I mean is…it’s nice t’be with you Charles. I-I like bein’…close to you.” Arthur said hesitantly.

Charles’ eyes widened a bit. Clearly the alcohol was making him say these things.

Arthur continued while Charles struggled with what to say back. Not really believing what Arthur was saying to him.

“Hosea…he said…he said I shouldn’t be afraid of you.”

That confused Charles even more. “What? Afraid of me?”

Now he really had no idea what Arthur was getting at.

“No! Not…not afraid of _you_. Jesus, I-I’m an idiot. Um…what I mean is…he thinks…I shouldn’t be afraid…of what we could become…due to the fact that I…like you…more…” He trailed off not knowing how to finish his thought. _More than a friend? More than a fellow gang member? More than almost everybody he’s ever met?_

But it didn’t matter because Charles picked up on what he was struggling to say.

“I think I understand.” He said.

Arthur strained his head to look up again. “Y-you do? And…is that…okay?” he asked with a scared voice.

“It’s okay.” Charles said calmly and quietly, trying to sooth Arthur who seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack.

Arthur turned his head back around to face the fire and let himself calm down.

“Is it okay that I…like you more too?” Charles asked hesitantly. He really should have waited until Arthur was sober to continue this conversation but he couldn’t help himself. Arthur was brave enough to say his true feelings so he should be too. It was only fair.

Arthur shifted against Charles’ legs but made no other move that indicated a reaction to what Charles said.

After a few seconds, “You’re just fibbin’ me aren’t you?” Arthur asked pathetically while continuing to stare into the fire.

Charles breathed out a laugh. “No Arthur, never. I really mean it. Promise.”

Arthur sighed and pressed his head again into Charles’ thigh, probably pitying himself thinking Charles was really lying.

This time the temptation for Charles was too strong. He wanted Arthur to know he was serious.

He reached his hand down and placed it gently on the base of Arthur’s head, then moved his fingers gingerly through his hair. Arthur seemed to melt into him even more.

“Okay?” he asked Arthur to make sure he wasn’t uncomfortable.

He just hummed in appreciation and relished in the feeling of Charles’ touch.

“Thank you, Charles.” He whispered.

“For what?”

_For teaching me how to shoot an arrow. For being such a valuable member of the gang. For looking out for me when no one else does. For putting up with my bad moods and poor jokes. For being a true friend. For not laughing at me when I confessed my feelings. For…_

“Everything.”

“Of course, Arthur.” He smiled and continued stroking his hair.

They enjoyed the cool night air for a while longer before Charles decided Arthur would be much better off in his bed.

He gently nudged Arthur, “C’mon Arthur, let’s get you to bed.”

Arthur made weak protests but allowed Charles to lift him up so he was standing. He wrapped his arm around Arthur’s waist and slung Arthur’s arm over his shoulder then began to walk them in the direction of Arthur’s wagon.

Javier and John were sitting at one of the tables in camp trying to play cards but failing when neither of them could concentrate hard enough to play properly. Eventually they just resorted to crude conversations and dirty jokes, though they both continued to clutch their cards in their hands. As if they would regain focus on their game eventually.

They were laughing about something John said when suddenly Javier got quiet and started nudging John incessantly in the side. 

“Ow! What?!” John swatted pathetically at Javier to stop.

“Look!” he whispered harshly then pointed to their right.

John turned his head and his jaw dropped.

Charles was holding a drunk Arthur up, and practically carrying him to his wagon. Both men were clutching onto each other and giggling about something between them.

John turned back around to gauge Javier’s reaction. Javier raised both his eyebrows in a flirty way to mock them which made John burst out laughing.

Charles laid Arthur down on his cot and started to snake his arms away from him when Arthur grabbed onto his wrist.

“Don’t leave.” He had his eyes closed but kept fighting sleep.

Charles smiled and gently removed his hand. “Go to sleep Arthur. You need it. We can talk more in the morning. Okay?”

“Mmm, fine.” Arthur replied and let his head loll as sleep overtook him.

Charles smiled and slipped away quietly back into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter woo! Sorry for the delay, the holidays kept me very busy. 
> 
> Also on a personal note, I have been out of work since October so I have been job hunting and going on interviews since then (I am financially independent from parents and pay my own rent, bills, etc.) so that has kept me preoccupied, yet also allowed me plenty of time to write. 
> 
> Yesterday I got a call back with an amazing job offer at a company I am very excited to work at. It is a long-term career position that could very well be somewhere I work until I retire (many, many years from now). However, it is full time and I will have to commute an hour each way during the work week. So...my writing may slow down, but I am still very committed to this story. 
> 
> Thank you to all my readers and those who leave kudos and comments! It really makes my day!


	5. Horseshoe Overlook - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur panics after waking up the morning after Sean's Party. He receives his first letter from Mary and goes to see her.

Arthur woke slowly, groaning as he felt a deep throbbing in his head and an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He opened his eyes only to visibly flinch at the harsh light. He scrubbed at his face with one hand before opening his eyes and throwing his legs to the side of his cot and sitting up.

He took a moment to get his bearings. He tried letting out a cough to clear his throat when he realized his mouth was drier than a desert. That’s when he noticed the precarious cup of water sitting on his bedside table. He’s pretty sure he didn’t leave that there but he was grateful nonetheless, snatching it and gulping the whole thing down in one go.

He fought the urge to collapse back down to bed while trying to remember just what happened the night before.

_Oh yeah, Sean’s party._

It was pretty fun from what he remembers. He remembers singing and drinking with various members of the gang. He also remembers sitting with Charles for a while later in the night, away from everyone else. And they talked about-

Arthur’s eyes widen. _Oh fuck._

He told Charles he liked him, and Charles said he liked him back. And he fucking nuzzled his head into him!

“Oh my god.” Arthur buried his head in his hands then looked up to stare blankly at the ground in shock.

It was then he went into panic mode.

_He must hate me now. He was probably just humoring me because he felt bad for me. God, I must have made him so uncomfortable, he didn’t know what else to do! Way to go Morgan, you fucked up yet again._

“Shit, shit, shit.” Arthur whispered. He knew he had to find Charles and apologize. He doesn’t expect their friendship to continue but he could try to at least make it so Charles didn’t hate him.

He looked up and took in the goings on around camp. It looked like everyone was fairing poorly from the party last night. Most people were moving around sluggishly, trying to find their will to carry out the day. Still, Arthur saw no sign of Charles.

He pushed himself up to stand then immediately almost fell back over. He recovered and slowly stumbled into the unforgiving morning light.

He moseyed around camp receiving greetings and ‘good mornings’ from various people, still no sign of Charles. However, Taima was at the hitching posts so he couldn’t be far.

It was when Arthur walked towards the cliffs of Horseshoe Overlook did he finally see shiny raven hair almost hidden amongst the peaceful scenery.

Charles was sitting at the edge of one of the cliffs whittling away at a piece of wood, not a care in the world.

Arthur took in a deep breath, sighed, and walked in his direction.

Charles was enjoying the morning air and sunshine when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was. There was only one person motivated enough to seek him out when he was outside the camp boundaries.

 _Seems like sleeping beauty finally decided to wake up._ Charles mused to himself.

Finally, the footsteps stopped and he looked up when Arthur cleared his throat.

“Hey Charles,” he said solemnly.

“Morning Arthur. How are you fairing after last night?”

Arthur shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably for a moment. “Um, fine I guess, er well…I actually wanted to talk to you about last night.”

“Oh?”

Arthur’s melancholy tone made him worry a bit about what he was going to say. Maybe Arthur regretted saying those things to him, and he only made it worse by reciprocating. Maybe his confession was simply the ramblings of a drunk mind, with no real meaning to them.

Charles was suddenly having a lot of regrets. He knew he should have until Arthur was sober to properly respond to his confession.

“Yeah, um…look. I’m real sorry if what I said or did last night made you…uncomfortable. Y-you probably only reacted the way you did to spare my feelings. But you don’t gotta do that. And uh, I don’t expect you to keep humoring me with your friendship anymore. I’d just be grateful if you could find it in yourself to forgive me.”

Charles took a second to process what Arthur just said then couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh. He gave Arthur a look of sympathy before lifting his arm and beckoning him to come sit by his side.

“Come here, you fool of a man.”

Arthur chewed his lip and hesitated before stepping forward to sit next to Charles on the cliffs edge.

As soon as Arthur was seated next to him, Charles turned his head to look at the landscape and take in the beauty before them. Arthur followed his gaze and waited for one of them to break the silence.

“It’s quite a view isn’t it?” asked Charles.

“Sure.” Arthur said quietly.

Charles smiled to himself then moved his hand to lay it on top of Arthur’s, which was resting in the space between them.

He looked to Arthur and squeezed his hand for reassurance. “I wasn’t humoring you last night Arthur. I meant every word. If anything, I thought you would be the one upset with me from last night. That I somehow...pushed you too far.” 

Arthur snapped his head to look Charles in the face. “Up-upset with _you_??? Charles you-,” he paused and looked back towards the landscape before turning back to Charles. “I thought I was dreamin’ last night when you said you felt the same way. Really, I thought…there was no chance in hell this could actually happen.”

Charles huffed a laugh, “Well, it is happening cowboy. And I say…we let it. Maybe it’s time we both had…someone. Someone we could be close with.”

Arthur looked apprehensive for a moment. “Look Charles, I’ve um…never really had a serious relationship with a man before. That’s not to say I’ve never been with a man before…intimately…you know. But, with you it’s different somehow. I have these feelings for you that…well, I ain’t had for someone in a very long time. Maybe ever. And I don’t want to ignore them…but…I just don’t really know how to handle all this really.”

Charles smiled. “Well we’re in the same boat then. I've been alone for so long I never thought I could feel this way about someone else. I never thought I was capable of getting this close to another person. I mean, I've also had…experiences with men before, but never a real committed partner I guess you could say. Seems like neither of us knows what we’re doing.” 

“Oh well, that’s good.” Arthur said jokingly. “Ain’t we just a pair’o smitten clueless buffoons,” he laughed.

“Seems so,” Charles chuckled.

When their laughs died down they found themselves peacefully looking into each other’s eyes. Both begging each other to make the next move.

Arthur started leaning in, getting lost in Charles’ ebony eyes.

“I guess we’ll just have to…figure this out together then,” he whispered while leaning closer and letting his eyelids droop as his gaze moved to Charles’ enticing lips.

“Together sounds good to me,” Charles whispered back, also dropping his gaze and leaning his head closer.

Charles was still gripping Arthur’s left hand, and as they moved closer Arthur lifted his other hand to cradle Charles’ jawbone, guiding them to each other.

They both had their eyes fully closed now, and just as their lips were about to brush together-

“Arthur!!!”

They immediately ripped apart from each other, putting at least two feet of space between them.

“Arthur?! Where are you?”

They both breathed a sigh of relief realizing it was just Mary-Beth looking for Arthur, and not someone who stumbled upon them and yelled his name in shock.

Arthur looked to Charles and they both gave each other relieved but apologetic looks. Mary-Beth was still calling Arthur’s name.

He cleared his throat then yelled, “Here, Mary-Beth!”

A few moments later her face popped into view. “Oh! There you are! I have something for you.”

She started walking to their little perch and Arthur got up to meet her.

“Here you are,” she said cheerfully. Handing out a letter for Arthur to take.

She offered Charles a greeting as well before turning around and heading back into camp.

Charles got up to stand next to Arthur. “So, you got a letter then?”

Arthur made no response, just stared down at the return address on the envelope.

“Arthur?”

“I-It’s from Mary,” he said in shock.

“That woman you told me about in Colter? The one you almost married?”

“Yeah,” he said confused.

“Oh. Well, you should go read it in private Arthur. It could be important.” Charles tried not to sound disappointed in the fact that their special moment was interrupted.

“Not sure I want to,” Arthur said grumpily. Then he looked up. “I’m real sorry Charles.”

Charles gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t be. Go on, we’ll catch up later. Okay?”

“Sure,” Arthur responded, then gave him one last glance before leaving to go read Mary’s letter.

It was only a short while later when Charles was brushing Taima’s hair at the hitching posts did Arthur swiftly approach him again.

“She wants to see me.” Arthur harshly whispered when he approached him. Charles stopped his brushing and looked at Arthur to continue.

Arthur looked around first to make sure no one was eavesdropping. There were plenty of people about but they didn't seem interested in the two men. “She’s stayin’ in Valentine and saw the girls in town the other day. Guess she recognized them as part of the gang and figured I was here too. Now she’s asked to see me,” he explained quickly.

Charles could tell Arthur was unnerved by the whole situation. And unsure of what to do.

“Maybe…maybe you should see her,” he replied hesitantly.

Arthur looked surprised. He did not think Charles would suggest he visit his ex-fiancé, considering they both just admitted their feelings to each other.

Charles picked up on his confusion. “She might just want to see how you’re doing. Or maybe she even wants to apologize for what’s happened in the past. Who knows? This may be a chance for you to get closure from the whole situation. And…if you don’t go, you’ll always wonder what might have happened if you did.”

Arthur thought about it for a moment before letting out a big sigh.

“Perhaps you’re right but…are you okay with this?”

Charles placed his hand on Arthur’s shoulder and squeezed. “Arthur, you don’t need my permission to stay or go. I’ll support you with whatever decision you make. Promise.” He squeezed his shoulder once more before dropping his hand.

“Well, alright then. I guess…I’ll go see what she has to say.” He looked anxiously in the distance towards Valentine before sighing the tension away and smirking to himself then turning back to Charles.

“I’d kiss you if there weren’t so many damn people around. Never got finish our business earlier,” he grumbled.

“Tch, go get _Bear_ ready Arthur,” Charles said amused. Arthur rolled his eyes at his emphasis of Bear's name then went to walk past him to retrieve his saddle. But as Arthur walked by him, Charles grabbed his bicep and pulled him close to whisper, “plenty of time for that later cowboy,” then gave him a lightning quick peck on the cheek and promptly walked away.

Arthur just stood there speechless, trying to regain control of his heartbeat.

************

Mary had just finished throwing up for the second time that morning. Clutching her painful stomach and trying to fight the persistent nausea. She could barely hold food down anymore and as a result felt constantly fatigued due to lack of nutrition. Her symptoms were increasing in severity with each day. Her clothes were becoming looser and she could tell she suffered from a decent amount of weight loss. She was certain there was something wrong with her now.

But, she wasn’t ready to face that reality yet. Not until she got her brother back. It had been a few weeks since her arrival in Valentine and since then she found out Jamie had joined a…peculiar religious order. One that has proven to be a direct threat to Jamie’s safety. She also found out that Arthur’s gang was likely in area. So, she wrote him hoping he would come see her and hopefully help her bring Jamie home.

Still, she wasn’t sure she was ready to face Arthur again after all these years. How was she to look him in the eyes and pretend their daughter didn’t exist? How was she to continue her sham of why she broke his heart? It was all too much. She almost hoped he wouldn’t show so she wouldn’t have to face him. _Almost._

She finished cleaning herself up when she heard a soft knock on her door. It was the lady of the house whose room she was renting.

“Mrs. Linton? A um…gentleman is at the door for you.”

Her heartbeat immediately quickened knowing who it was. Her mind went into a state of shock. Deep down she wasn’t actually expecting him to come, and now he was here. Right outside the front door.

“O-Okay, I’ll be there in just a moment,” she stuttered out then turned to her mirror to quickly fix herself up. Not that it helped much. She didn’t realize she looked like hell until she thought about Arthur seeing her.

She hurriedly made her way to the front door before pausing and taking in a deep breath and slowly opening it.

He had his back turned to her when she got her first glance outside. But even so, she almost cried at the sight of him. He turned around and she let out the breath she was holding. He was still just as handsome as he was before. But, she didn’t expect him to look so…timid. No, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he had nothing but disdain for her after their last fateful night together.

“Hello, Arthur,” she said surprised. Then took a quick look back in the house before stepping out and shutting the door behind her.

“Mary…” he responded quietly.

“I…I wasn’t sure you’d get my letter, but I’m real happy to see you here.”

Arthur wasn’t sure how to respond. He wasn’t particularly happy to see her again. Besides…she was a married woman, and he had Charles now. Their business together was over as far as he was concerned.

“Where’s um…Mr. Linton?” He wasn’t even aware her last name was Linton now until he received her letter that morning.

Mary looked remorseful for a moment. “He…died. Quite a while ago now. Pneumonia.”

“Bad business,” he responded earnestly.

“Sure.”

There was an awkward pause.

“Look Arthur, I-”

She stopped mid-sentence as she felt a wave of dizziness and nausea hit her. She had to lean against the nearest post to stop herself from falling over.

Arthur rushed to her side to steady her. “Mary?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. J-just need to sit a moment.”

Arthur led her over to a bench sitting in front of the window on the porch, then sat next to her to make sure she was okay.

“Mary?” he asked again.

“M’sorry, just got a bit dizzy there. I was…sick recently and I guess my body is still recovering,” she lied.

“Sick?” he questioned worriedly. And now that he looked closer, he could tell she looked a bit poorly. Hair disheveled, pale skin, and a bit thinner in the face. Definitely not her usual put together self.

“Oh, just some stomach bug that was hard to shake,” she reassured. “I’m doing better now,” she lied again.

“Well, actually, I’m _not_ fine. I need your help Arthur. M-my family needs your help.” She glanced up to look him in the eyes. The same eyes as their daughter. _His daughter._ She was once again filled with shame at keeping this secret hidden from him. And from Beatrice. She _deserved_ her father.

“You mean the family that always looked down on me?” he spat in disgust then hastily got up and walked to the edge of the porch.

Mary knew she should have seen that coming. It was true after all. Her family did treat Arthur like he was lower than dirt. Except for her and Jamie that is.

She wanted to stand up too but her swimming head told her it wasn’t a good idea.

“Please Arthur, i-it’s been real hard for us lately. My father…he’s not been himself. Been _worse_ than his normal self actually. And little Jamie’s made it worse by running away from home and joining that strange religious order-the _Chelonians_.”

Arthur turned around to face her, resting his back against the porch railings and crossing his arms. “Good for him,” he shrugged.

“They’re quite mad Arthur. They’ll kill him! Please, my father sent me here to bring him home but I think you’re the only person he’ll listen to. H-he always liked you, and he’s so innocent Arthur. If I don’t bring him home…I don’t know what my father will do.”

Arthur let out a big sigh, “I always liked Jamie,” he admitted. “But, c’mon Mary. My money, my life, me…I was never good enough for your family. But now…it’s okay to ask me to help in saving your family?”

“I’m sorry!” She stood up quickly to stand in front of him. “I’m begging you Arthur, please!”

Suddenly she clutched her head and started to sway.

“Whoh!” Arthur reached out to steady her balance.

“I-I’m okay,” she breathed clutching his outstretched arms with hers.

Arthur looked at her with concern, “Mary, you shou-”

She shook her head at what he was about to say. “Please Arthur! Will you help me?” she asked while lightly shaking his arms with her grasp. Pleading with every fiber of her being.

He looked into her desperate eyes with pity then sighed. “Where is he?”

Her face immediately melted into relief. “They were last seen out near Carmody Dell I think. Around the Cumberland Forest.”

He shifted their stances so that he could lead her to the front door. “I’ll see what I can do. Meanwhile you should go inside and rest.”

She clutched onto him as he walked her to the house, “Thank you Arthur, thank you. Bring him to me at the station when you find him, please.”

He let her go so she could move inside then nodded his head once and left.

As soon as Mary was inside with the door closed, she rushed to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed in a fit of tears. She was totally overcome with emotion. Frustrated at her body for making her feel so ill. Ashamed for appearing weak in front of Arthur. Disappointed in herself for not telling him the truth about the past. Hurt for her daughter who will never know the truth of her parentage. Worried for Jamie. Angry at her father. And finally, mournful at the life lost had she escaped with Arthur all those years ago.

She cried herself into exhaustion. Wishing for nothing more than to be at home holding her precious daughter safely in her arms.

************

Well, Arthur can honestly say this was not how he thought his day would go. First his meeting with Mary, then rescuing her brother from that clan of crazies (and from himself). Damn kid almost blew his own brains out. He just wanted the day to end already at this point. He wanted to be with Charles…

“Are you and Mary sweet on one another again?” Jamie asked enthusiastically while Arthur helped him onto the back of his horse.

“No. Afraid that’s all a long time ago, son.”

“Oh. B-but you two talked right?”

“Yes? We talked,” he confirmed.

Jamie remained silent for a moment much to Arthur’s relief. This whole situation had made him rather ornery, and now that Jamie was safe, he was looking forward to his and Mary’s departure. He was ready to finally put all his business with the Gillis family behind him.

“Did she tell you about…er…I mean what all did she tell you?” Jamie asked cautiously.

“Um, not much,” Arthur said slowly. “Mostly just talked about you, I guess. And that her husband passed.”

“Huh,” Jamie responded.

Well now he had Arthur’s attention.

“Is there something else she should have told me?”

“What-no! Uh, I mean…no.”

Well that was suspicious but Arthur didn’t have it in him to push any further on the subject. Instead they made idle chat until they finally reached the Valentine train station. By this point the sun had just set, bringing on the beginning of the end to Arthur’s long, stressful day.

They approached the hitching posts and dismounted to make their way into the station. Arthur watched as Jamie ran into Mary’s awaiting arms, agreeing to come home with her.

She handed Jamie his bag then picked up her own and stood in front of Arthur.

“Thank you, Arthur. Thank you.”

He just nodded at her then grabbed her bag from her hands, ushering her to the platform.

He helped her onto the train before handing her bag back to her.

She turned to look at him once more, thinking this would be the last time she saw him. And in that moment looking into his somber face yet again, she couldn’t help herself.

“Arthur, th-there’s something I should-,” she couldn’t get the words out. “I’m…You’re…” _a father…_ she wanted to say. But what good what it do? She knew it would only hurt him more to reveal the truth, and she wasn’t ready to deal with the consequences of what would happen if she did.

“Oh, you’ll never change…I know that,” she said remorsefully. _Better to push him away and keep him from the truth,_ she thought. But she hated herself for it.

She didn’t spare him a second glance before turning around to enter the train. She couldn’t bare to look into his broken face again. Broken…because of her.

She took her seat next to Jamie just as the train started moving. The jerking motion instantly made her dizzy and she had to hold her hand to her mouth to keep herself from vomiting.

Jamie looked back at the platform then turned to Mary, “Why didn’t you tell him about Beatrice?!” he asked harshly.

“Jamie please…” she was really trying to swallow that queasy feeling now.

“He deserves to know Mary-!”

“Jamie please!” she cut him off in frustration. “Please, just…just leave it, okay?”

She looked utterly defeated so Jamie dropped the subject. He didn’t even realize how unwell she looked until just now either.

“Are you okay?” he asked softy.

“I…I just need to rest. I miss Bea, and…I’m tired. So tired.” She whispered while burying her head in her hands.

Jamie just grimaced and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to him so she could lean into him and get some much needed sleep.

***********

Arthur raced in the dark to get back to camp as soon as possible. He could feel the burn in his face and in his eyes as he faced the fact that Mary only contacted him so she could _use_ him. Then she went ahead and reopened the wound she inflicted on him all those years ago…. _you’ll never change_. Those words haunted him.

Charles was right, his visit with her did bring him closure. Now he was sure he can move on with his life without Mary. He didn’t need her constantly bringing him down for things that were out of his control.

He wiped at the few tears that escaped his eyes before pushing Bear even harder to get back to camp. To get back to Charles. It was all he could think about. He knew that once he was with him again, everything would feel right in the world.

He finally approached the trail to camp and slowed down a bit.

“Who’s there?!” a voice rang out.

He almost sobbed at the realization it was Charles.

He couldn’t even choke out a greeting to him. All he could think about was getting to him ASAP. As he rode closer he didn’t even wait for his horse to come to a complete stop before he placed his hat on his saddle, got off, and briskly strode over to Charles.

Charles looked tense from the lack of answer from the mysterious rider until he realized it was Arthur. And he was walking straight towards him like a man on a mission.

“Arthur?! Hey, how did it go with-mph!”

He was interrupted when Arthur grabbed his head with both hands and pulled him in for a kiss.

Both men groaned, Arthur in pleasure and Charles in shock. Eventually Charles dropped his gun and closed his eyes, relishing in the contact. He gripped Arthur’s waist with one hand and cradled his head with the other, deepening the kiss even more.

Finally the two came up for air, panting but keeping their eyes closed. Arthur leaned his forehead into Charles’ and let out a sigh of content.

They basked in that moment for a few seconds before Arthur spoke up.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

Charles smiled then shook his head against Arthur’s before moving back and opening his eyes. “That was quite the return welcome. You weren’t even gone a full day.”

Arthur moved his arms to wrap around Charles’ nape, then he buried his head into the crook of his neck.

“I know but…I missed you.” He whispered.

Charles wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist and held him to his body. “Didn’t go well then?” he asked.

Arthur pulled back to look at him. “She didn’t want to see me Charles, she just wanted me for what I could do for her. She...she just used me to do her dirty work. But you were right. I got the closure I needed. After what happened today, I’m ready to put all that nonsense behind me.”

“Oh Arthur, I’m so sorry.”

Arthur just shook his head. “Don’t be. Now I know I can finally move on from the past. I can…face the fact that she was never the right person for me to begin with. Acknowledge how much of a mistake it would have been if I left with her.”

He sighed. “After I watched her leave I just…couldn’t wait to get back here…to you. It was all I could think about.”

Charles hummed and ran a loving hand up and down his back. “Well, you’re home now,” he smiled.

For some reason that statement hit Arthur hard. _Home_. It was never something he truly had. At least not since he joined up with Dutch and Hosea. No, they were always on move, never settling in one place. Never establishing a real…home. But for some reason when Charles said that, it flipped a switch in his head. Coming back to camp, to Charles…it _was_ like coming home. It didn’t matter where they were, what mattered was who was there. With Charles, camp never felt more like a home than it did now.

He smiled back and embraced Charles again, “Yeah. Home.”

*********

The train rolled to a stop in Saint Denis as Jamie and Mary prepared to get off at the station.

Mary was feeling absolutely terrible from the movements of the train during their long venture. It didn’t help that she could only get down one or two bites of a scone during the whole trip. Definitely not enough to keep her energy up or mitigate her stomach pains. But her appetite was almost non-existent at this point.

And she was still so fatigued. Even after sleeping most of the way home. Her strength was hanging on by a thread. But she knew if she could just make it to the platform they could hire a stagecoach and they would be home in no time. Just had to make it a bit longer.

“Jamie, would you mind carrying my bag for me please. I-I’m still feeling a bit peckish.”

“Oh, uh sure. But are you sure you’re okay?” he asked with concern.

“Yes, I’ll be fine as soon as we get home,” she reassured with a forced smile.

“Okay, whatever you say.”

They stood up to make their way out of the train. Mary had to give herself a moment to get her bearings straight. Focusing all of her energy in following Jamie out of the train car. But it was proving to be a sizable struggle.

Jamie stepped down onto the platform first, carrying both of their bags. He turned to make sure Mary made it down okay. That’s when he noticed her swaying dangerously side to side. She went to step down but instead fully collapsed onto the platform, unconscious.

“Mary!” Jamie let out a panicked cry, dropping the bags and rushing to her.

“Help! Someone!” he screamed as a few patrons rushed to their aid, murmuring about what could have happened or what was wrong. One lady even crouched by Mary’s head, waving her fan in Mary’s face hoping to revive her. They all tried waking her up but she would only open her eyes for seconds at a time before slipping into unconsciousness again.

Eventually a nice gentleman began lifting her up while speaking to Jamie. “C’mon son, let’s get her to the doctor shall we? I have a coach just over there,” he motioned with his head toward the street.

“Thank you sir! Thank you.” Jamie was relieved someone was willing to help them.

They lifted her up and carried her to the carriage. Jamie sat in the back with her, cradling her body as best he could. The driver spurred his horses on and quickly made his way towards the doctor’s office.

“Please be okay,” Jamie whispered while stroking Mary’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter yay! It seriously feels like a small victory when I publish a new chapter. The real good stuff is coming in the next chapter or two :D


	6. Mary's Troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I am so very sorry for taking so long to update. As mentioned in my previous chapter I started a new job! It's a major step in my career and I had to spend some time adjusting to the new position, coworkers, schedule etc. So it's been a bit stressful trying to get into my new groove. I'm waking up at 5:30 am and not home until 5 pm so between working and other adulting necessities its been hard to find time to write. Also idk why but this chapter was very hard for me to write, maybe because it's all about Mary ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> Anyways, updates will probably continue to be slow (a chapter a month probably) but I really do not want to give up on this fic.  
> Thanks for sticking around and enjoy the new chapter (or don't, it's pretty sad tbh).

The stagecoach pulled in front of the doctor’s office after a short ride. The driver jumped down and helped Jamie carry Mary inside.

“My goodness!” The receptionist was shocked to see the two men carrying in an unconscious woman. She immediately rushed to retrieve the doctor.

The doctor burst through the door and ushered them into the exam room, asking them to lay her on the bed.

“What happened?” he inquired.

Jamie was almost at a loss of what to say. “I–I don’t know! One second she was walking off the train behind me, the next…she just fell! A–and she wouldn’t wake up. Sh–she said she wasn’t feeling well earlier but…it didn’t seem this bad!” He was nearly hysterical.

“Calm down son, we’ll figure all this out soon enough. Um…you do have money don’t you?” He asked.

Jamie stood there like a gaping fish. Why was this man asking for money when his sister could be dying?! He certainly didn’t have any money on him. And now that he thought about it, any money Mary had on her was probably in her bag which he forgot at the train station.

“Here. Is this enough?” He snapped out of his shock to see the coach driver handing the doctor a wad of cash.

The doctor took it, counted it, and nodded before turning to examine Mary.

It was at this point the coach driver decided to quietly make his leave.

“Wait!” Jamie yelled to him. “I have to repay you somehow!”

The driver just shook his head and smiled softly. “No need kid. Was the right thing to do. Hope she gets better.” Then continued walking out.

“Th–thank you sir!” Jamie yelled after him.

He turned around to watch the doctor continue his work. He moved about the room collecting this and that. Eventually he pulled out a small bottle. “Ah! This may do the trick.”

He went back to Mary and uncorked the small bottle, holding it up to her nose.

To Jamie’s surprise she started groaning and moving her head back and forth. After a few seconds her eyes flew open and she started gagging at the obnoxious smell emanating from the bottle.

“There we are!” The doctor moved the bottle away and soothed Mary, urging her to stay lying down.

“W-what happened? Where…?” she asked weakly.

“You are at the doctor’s office madam. Seems you had a rather intense fainting spell. It was near impossible to wake you,” the doctor explained.

She just blinked at him in response.

“Mary?” Jamie approached her timidly.

She turned her head to see her brother nervously wringing his shirt in his hands. “Jamie? What…?” She still had a look of confusion on her face.

“You were following me off of the train but…when I looked back you just…fell. A–and…you wouldn’t wake up.”

She just stared at him as she took in what he was saying. Then she let out a groan as she tried to sit up again but the doctor pushed her back down.

“Ah ah ah.” The doctor tutted at her. “Please stay down, I need to finish my examination. And now that you are awake, I can ask you some questions.”

She tried pushing herself up again but in her weakened state the doctor easily pushed her back down. She finally had enough.

“Let me go! My daughter is waiting for me at home and I have to get to her.” Her eyes widened at what she just revealed.

“I-I mean my niece is waiting for me. I’m her…guardian.”

The doctor gave her an almost annoyed look.

“Please miss. Clearly you need a medical examination. You are already here so let’s just get it done so we can get you feeling better hm? You’re no use to your…niece, sick.”

Mary looked him in the eye with a look of disdain before dropping her head back down to the bed and letting out a sigh. “Fine.” She looked at Jamie. “Wait for me outside, okay?”

He nodded quietly then gave her one last worrying glance before heading out of the room.

The doctor took a seat in his chair then loudly clasped his hands together once Jamie was gone. “Now then. Let’s see how I can help you. Can you tell me how you were feeling before your fainting spell? Dizzy? Lightheaded? Or did it happen suddenly?”

Mary chewed her lip at his question. She didn’t want to face the fact that she had been feeling ill for a while now. And that it was only getting worse. But what good would lying do?

“Actually…” she hesitated for a moment. “I’ve been feeling…unwell for a few months now.”

The doctor looked at her quizzingly before motioning with his hand for her to continue.

“Um well, I get dizzy often. As well as nauseous. Lately…I’ve been throwing up multiple times a day. I can’t seem to hold food down. And even when I do eat, I can only take in a few bites before I have to stop. My appetite is…well I don’t really have one anymore. And there’s this constant dull ache in my stomach…” Her voice grew smaller the more she exposed her symptoms. Realizing how concerning they actually were as she said them out loud.

The doctor nodded seriously at her words then leaned forward in his chair, scratching his chin with his hand. “Is there any chance you could be pregnant?” he offered.

“No, I’m…a widow. I haven’t been with anyone since my husband passed. And that was years ago.”

The doctor hummed at her response. “Any significant weight loss? If you don’t mind me saying, you look a bit too thin.”

Mary questioned whether she wanted to continue with this conversation. She just wanted to go home and be with her daughter. Hold her so she could feel grounded again.

“Yes. I’ve lost a bit of weight,” she finally admitted.

The doctor nodded then stood from his chair. “Right. I’m going to need to do a thorough physical exam.” He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a simple gown and handed it to Mary.

“Please remove all your clothing and put this on. I will wait outside for you to finish.”

Mary slowly accepted the gown and watched as the doctor removed himself from the room. She reluctantly removed her clothes from her now frail body and waited for the doctor to come back.

He soon reentered and began his exam. Poking and prodding her in a way that made her feel extremely uncomfortable and vulnerable. Finally, he asked to see her stomach area.

She lifted her gown while using a blanket to keep her nether region covered.

“My you are a bit thin my dear. No doubt your vomiting and lack of eating is also the cause of your dizziness and fatigue. Hm.” He pondered out loud then started pressing into her abdomen.

When he pressed a certain spot Mary hissed in pain.

“Interesting,” the doctor said. “I am going to press here again okay? I know it hurts but bear with me.”

Mary nodded and braced herself.

He continued to press into that spot and move his hand around. Mary clenched her jaw and groaned in pain. After a few moments the doctor released his pressure and let out a displeased hum.

“Alright my dear, let’s get you up.” He helped Mary sit up then turned away from her and moved to sit back in his chair, contemplating. Finally, he sighed and looked at Mary.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. It feels as though you have a…lump or tumor in or around your stomach. I can feel the mass of it when I press into your abdomen. It could be benign or well…” he trailed off.

Mary stared at him dumbfounded and speechless. Not really registering what the doctor was telling her.

He took that moment to continue his thoughts. “Worst case scenario is…cancer I’m afraid. The fact that it is already big enough to feel externally is concerning.”

Mary felt like she was in nightmare she couldn’t wake from. Or that she was living another person’s life. How could this be happening to her? After all that she’s been through, why her?

She sat on the exam table mouth agape trying and failing to form a coherent response. “How– What–”

“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer as to how something like this happens,” the doctor relented. “But…what we can discuss is the next steps to take.”

“Next steps? Is there a chance you can cure me?” Mary asked with hope.

The doctor shook his head. “Cure you? I doubt it. Though if it is a benign lump, I may be able to remove it with no lasting effects. But if it’s cancer well…we can only hope it hasn’t spread yet. The only way to find out if it is cancer or just a benign tumor is surgery. I’ll have to open up the area and take a look, see if it can be removed safely or not.”

The mention of surgery filled Mary with fear. She knew it was possible but everything about it was so unknown to her. She’s never even met anyone who’s had such an invasive procedure done before. Could she die? Will she feel it? What if it doesn’t work?

The doctor interrupted her rising panic attack, “Of course, it will not be cheap. You will have to prove you can pay for it before we move forward.”

She looked at him in disbelief. Here she was trying to grapple with life altering, life shattering news and this doctor just wants to talk about _money???_

“Fine,” she grit out. “But…but is this my only option moving forward?”

The seriousness in the doctors face almost made Mary flinch at her own question. “If you do nothing, it will continue to grow and your health will rapidly decline as it already has and you will die. No question about it. Surgery is the only chance you have at _possibly_ getting better. But, I make no promises. If it is cancer, and it has spread…there is nothing that can be done. I’m very sorry. I know this isn’t news you want to hear.”

Mary hung her head at his words. She had no choice she supposed. What would happen to Bea if she died? She had to try to live, even if there was a sliver of a chance. She looked up at the doctor with newfound determination, “How soon can we schedule the surgery?”

****************

Jamie was waiting impatiently by the receptionist desk. The kind receptionist had given up a while ago trying to make conversation with him. He was too nervous to focus on anything but Mary. Finally, she exited the room and made her way to him. But she had a devastated look on her face.

“Mary?” he questioned. He’s pretty sure he didn’t want to know what she was about to say but he had to find out was wrong.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Not here. I’ll tell you when we get home. I–I just need to see Bea.”

Jamie nodded understandingly and the siblings made their way out of the doctor’s office.

When they arrived home, it was late into the night. Emily greeted them warmly but her smile fell when she looked upon their crestfallen faces. She led them inside, letting them know their father hadn’t returned home for the day yet. Likely out drinking again.

“Where’s Bea?” Mary asked while barely holding it together.

“I put her down for bed a few hours ago,” Emily responded.

“I–I want to see her.” Mary now had tears streaming from her eyes but she kept her face emotionless.

The trio made their way upstairs towards the bedrooms. Mary quietly opened the door to her and Beatrice’s room and saw her small form sound asleep in bed. In that moment she was enraptured by her daughter’s utter innocence. She couldn’t help but give a silent prayer that her daughter would never know the pain and suffering she herself experienced throughout her life. She would do anything to give her the best life possible. A safe and happy life. Now with her failing health she gravely doubted her ability to provide that for her daughter. She was almost frozen in fear thinking about the possibility of dying and leaving Bea behind in this terrible cruel world.

Jamie and Emily watched as Mary made her way into the room and crouched next to Bea’s bed. Streaks of tears still running down her face. She lifted her hand and gently stroked her daughters face. Taking a moment to cherish her daughter after being away for so long.

Bea grumbled at the touch and fluttered her eyes open. Mary smiled for the first time in long while, “Hello my honey Bea.” Within seconds Bea realized who was caressing her cheek and she shot out from under covers.

“Aunt Mary!” she threw her arms around Mary who in turn held her lovingly.

Bea didn’t even notice the tears on Mary’s face but she did notice who was standing in the doorway.

“Uncle Jamie!” She ran from Mary’s arms straight into Jamie’s as he scooped her up and gave her a nice big hug.

“Hey Bean,” he greeted using his nickname for her.

Bea laughed in joy at his return, “I missed you Uncle Jamie!”

“I missed you too,” he whispered to her. He was suddenly immensely grateful towards Arthur for stopping him from his pathetic suicide attempt only days ago. And he couldn’t help but think of the man when he saw Bea again. Seeing Arthur recently had only reminded him of how similar Bea looked to him. In his mind it was downright tragic neither of them knew about the other. He wanted to do something about it, but he knew it would go against Mary’s wishes. And their father’s rules.

“C’mon now. Let’s get you back to bed. I just wanted to show you that we were back,” Mary beckoned her back to the bed. Bea whined but still listened and allowed Mary to tuck her back in and give her a goodnight kiss before leaving her to her pleasant dreams.

Once the three adults were alone again they knew it was time for a serious talk. Emily led them to the sitting room downstairs.

“The doctor thinks it’s some sort of tumor,” Mary explained after catching both Emily and Jamie up with how she’s been feeling and what the doctor told her.

“A tumor?” Jamie couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Yes. And the only step forward would be surgery so he can determine if it’s removable. Or if…” she trailed off. Emily’s face darkened at what Mary was implying but Jamie looked clueless so she continued.

“It could be cancer Jamie. And it’s possible that it could have already spread and be…incurable.”

His face morphed into devastation. “Y-you mean…you could…die from this?”

He sounded so scared and it went against all of Mary’s instincts to protect him from the terrible things in world and tell him that yes, she could die.

The three sat in silence trying to process this difficult situation. Mary remembered the other problem at hand. “I’ll need money to pay for the surgery. And it won’t be cheap. The doctor said he could do it in a week if we get him the money in the next few days. But I don’t know if we even have it. Father’s business is crumbling and he spends more than he makes…I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been gambling it away too. I myself don’t have much either. Between paying for things for Bea and Father constantly asking me to ‘lend’ him money, I don’t have enough to pay for the surgery.”

The mention of their father and his destructive ways filled Jamie with anger. If Mary can’t have the surgery because of their father’s reckless behavior then…he doesn’t know what he’ll do. He certainly doesn’t have the money to offer for the operation. He stupidly gave it all to the Chelonians.

“He has to give you the money for the operation. He just has to.”

Mary sighed at Jamie’s statement. “Jamie…if he doesn’t have the-”

Suddenly the front door swung open and a drunken Mr. Gillis stumbled in with a half empty bottle of liquor in his hand.

He took a swig before realizing that he wasn’t alone. He looked around at the three people in the room. His eyes widened and a big sloppy smile formed on his face when he noticed Jamie.

“Jamie my boy! You’re back!”

His intoxicated overjoyed behavior was an unwelcome presence to their unhumorous conversation.

Jamie stood as his father approached him. He threw his arms around his son and gave him some too rough pats on the back. It took all of Jamie’s will power not to push him off after smelling his revolting stench of alcohol and general lack of hygiene.

Finally, his father stepped back and his overjoyed face fell into a threatening glare. “Don’t you ever leave like that again boy! You hear me?! You’ll never amount to anything if you keep carrying on like a spoiled child! When are you finally gonna start acting like a man?!”

Jamie was suddenly reminded of why he left home in the first place. Arthur was right. Their father was nothing but a bully and a coward. He couldn’t formulate a response before Mary decided to intervene.

“Daddy,” she put her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention away from Jamie. He whirled around to look at her, almost falling over as he did so.

“Ah! If it isn’t my widowed daughter. First you get knocked up by a murderous outlaw then you can’t even stay married for more than two years. How much longer must you and your bastard child burden me?!”

It was cruel, his words. Would have been cruel even if Mary wasn’t possibly dying. She was used to his verbal abuse but after all the drama in the past few days she finally broke.

“Well I might not burden you for much longer father!” she spat. “I’ve been sick for weeks and I finally saw the doctor today. He said I could be dying!"

Her father made no reaction to her words other than looking at her with a scornful and skeptical look.

Mary grew even angrier. “A-and I demand you pay back the money I lent you so I can pay for my surgery! If I don’t have surgery I’ll die! You understand daddy? I. Will. Die.” Her anger slowly turned into pleading sobs the more she spoke.

She desperately tried to get his inebriated brain to understand the severity of what she was telling him. But it clearly didn’t work when he barked out a laugh at her words.

“Y-you think you are so clever don’t you? You’re just trying to take my money from me! Well it doesn’t matter, because there isn’t any! You hear me?! It’s gone! It’s all gone! So you can save your pathetic little sob story for someone else!”

Mary stood in shock. How could her own father not believe her? She was possibly dying and he didn’t even care.

“She’s not lying!” Jamie shouted.

Their father whooped in laughter. “Oh ho! You even got the boy in on it to do ya?”

His face suddenly turned cold as he sauntered up to Jamie. Putting his face in his and aggressively poking him in the chest. “Like I said _boy_. There ain’t no money left so give it up.”

Before Jamie could protest their father smirked and turned his head away to look at Emily. “That reminds me…you’re fired. I want you packed and out of my house tomorrow.”

Both women and Jamie dropped their mouths in shock. Emily had been a helping hand around the house for over a decade. She had been the mother figure in both Mary and Jamie’s life for years. Not to mention all the help she provided in raising Bea. She was practically family.

“W-what?” Emily’s quiet voice spoke up.

“I can’t afford to pay you! And no doubt you’re the one that’s been putting these crazy ideas in my children’s heads!”

The rest of the room was speechless. If they thought their lives were falling apart before…now it was practically dissolving by the second.

“Like I said. Out of my house tomorrow! And all of you will stop with this nonsense about Mary dying! Nothing but lies after all I've done for you people! Outrageous!”

He turned to make his way up the stairs. Taking a swig from the bottle still clutched in his hand.

Mary, Emily, and Jamie sat in silence after his leave, save for the quiet sobs coming from both women. They were completely overwhelmed with what just happened.

Jamie finally couldn’t stand the silence. “What are we going to do?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Mary whispered before burying her head in her hands and sobbing. Emily moved to comfort her and the pair just held onto each other as they cried.

“I promise I won’t leave you Mary. I don’t care what your father says. I will not leave you three at his mercy. Not while you’re like this.” Mary just cried harder.

Jamie was heartbroken watching the exchange in front of him. He had an idea but he knew Mary wouldn’t like it.

“What about Arthur?”

Mary instantly lifted her head. “No.” she said sternly.

“But-”

“No Jamie. I have put that man through enough. I won’t drag him into this.”

“But he should be dragged into this! Bea is his daughter-!”

“Jamie!” Mary shouted. God forbid their father overhear this.

“Fine,” he relented. “But we still need to find a way to get the money. You have to have the surgery Mary. Even if there is a small chance to fix this we have to. I-I don’t know what we would do without you.”

Mary sighed and rubbed her head with her hands. Trying to think of something. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. She wish it hadn’t resorted to this but she had no choice.

“Jamie I have an idea but I’ll need your help.” He nodded enthusiastically.

“I-I have a broach that was mothers. No doubt worth a decent amount of money. I need you to take it to the fence tomorrow and sell it. Then take the money to the doctor to let him know we have payment.”

“Oh Mary,” Emily said sadly. She knew how much that broach meant to Mary. It was one of the only things she had left from her mother.

“I know,” she responded. “But I think my mother would rather see it used to try and save my life than let it sit in a dusty old drawer." Emily rubbed her back in comfort.

“Okay, I’ll do it.” Jamie finally answered. “Don’t worry Mary. It will all be okay. I know it.”

Mary smiled at his hopefulness. She wished she could share in it but she didn’t quite have it in her. “Thank you.”

Emily stood and offered her assistance to help Mary up. “Alright my dear, why don’t we all go to bed now hm? You especially need your rest.”

Mary nodded and they made their way up to bed.

*************

The next day Jamie did what he was asked. The doctor scheduled the surgery date for the next week. Emily confined Mary to her bed and was forcing her to eat and save as much strength as possible before the surgery. The doctor had given her some tonics to help with the nausea and vomiting so she could actually keep her food down.

Mary wasn’t complaining about bed rest because Bea had taken it upon herself to be Mary’s personal cuddle bug. The mother and daughter spent hours holding each other, reading and laughing - well Mary did more sleeping than anything else. Bea knew Mary was sick and would see the doctor soon but they didn’t tell her how serious it was. They didn’t want her to scare her, especially if it turned out to be benign.

Mr. Gillis tried to get Emily to leave the next day but she vehemently refused saying she would continue to look after his _sick_ daughter whether or not he paid her. Eventually he gave up trying to get her to leave, but reiterated that she would not get another cent out him.

Mr. Gillis did notice his daughter was confined to bed, but made no comments other than to tell her to halfheartedly give up the act. But even his half sober mind realized how sickly she looked. Still, he refused to outwardly acknowledge his daughter could be dying.

Oddly enough when he did occasionally peek into Mary’s room his gaze paid extra attention to Bea who was usually in bed with Mary. Every time he looked at her she nervously squirmed under his gaze. Normally he would take extra care not to even acknowledge the girl. But lately he had been staring her down with careful eyes, before making his way out of the house to do god knows what. 

A day before the surgery Jamie paid a visit to the doctor to make sure everything was in order. He was making his way home from the doctor’s when he heard a familiar voice echoing from the nearby alley. As he honed in on the voice he could tell it was definitely his fathers. He furrowed his brows and slowly followed the sound. As he drew closer to the source, he heard a second voice. He crouched around the corner so he could eavesdrop on what they were saying. He heard the unfamiliar voice speak up.

“When will she be available for pick up?” the voice asked. Clearly it was a man. And his voice alone sent shivers down Jamie’s spine. He sounded like a serpent turned human. He couldn’t even imagine what the man looked like.

“We will need to move her in the night of course. Less curious eyes,” the man hissed.

“I’ll have her ready as soon as possible. I can’t give you an exact timeline yet but…soon. I promise you that,” Mr. Gillis responded.

“Hmm very well then. And you said the mother is…?”

“Sick. Very sick. Don’t worry, she won’t be a problem. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Indeed you will. And the father-?”

“Dead. And before that he was a nobody. An orphan with no family that could come snooping.”

“Good, good.” The voice sounded pleased.

“So we have a deal?” Mr. Gillis asked.

“Yes. I believe we do. And lucky for you she is worth a pretty penny. To get them at such a young age is quite a treat. Allows for…more grooming. Enhances our ability to morph her into the perfect product. And the physical features you described…well they’re quite rare and highly sought after in this market. She will be a great addition to our collection. Our clients will be very pleased.”

“I don’t care what you do with her once you get her. I just want my money. How much did you say again?”

Jamie couldn’t see the man but he could practically feel the smirk on his face when he answered. “For such a lovely little thing?…we will happily pay up to five thousand dollars. Is that agreeable?”

Mr. Gillis let out a gratified laugh. “Oh, most definitely. You’ll be doing me a favor by taking her off my hands.”

“Hmm…of course, I will want to inspect her before paying. Make sure she is everything you say, and that she is in good condition and has no noticeable scars or marks which may otherwise turn clients away.”

“Hmph, very well. But I can tell you now she isn’t sickly or ugly. She will be everything you are promised. That I swear.”

“We shall see Mr. Gillis. We shall see. You know how to get in contact. Please update us on when she will be ready for pick up.”

Mr. Gillis must have just nodded because soon Jamie heard the footsteps fade away. He took that moment to quickly leave the alley before his father saw him. His heart was racing. He knew whatever deal his father had just made was seriously bad, and it involved Bea.

He rushed home to tell Emily of the conversation he just heard. He thought about telling Mary too but she was already struggling so hard as it was, he didn’t want to put any more stress on her. The two discussed what happened while Mary and Bea napped in the next room.

“What do you think it means?” Jamie asked Emily after explaining to her what he heard.

“I…honestly don’t know. It sounds like your father is trying to get rid of Bea. And anyone willing to pay that much for a child…can’t be good.” Emily was pretty sure what the man would do with Bea once he got his filthy hands on her. Human trafficking wasn’t unheard of these days. Especially in young women. They were often sold or kidnapped then forced into prostitution. Even shipped to other countries. It was a woman’s worst nightmare. But the fact that they would want someone as young as Bea? It was enough to make Emily sick to her stomach. 

“Well what are we going to do?” Jamie asked worryingly.

“We keep her safe at all costs. She is to always be within sights of you or me. Mary is…too weak to properly look after her right now. And I’m afraid if we go to the law they won’t believe us. We don’t have any evidence and your father will just lie his way out. It’s up to us to keep her safe.”

“Okay,” Jamie agreed begrudgingly. “It’s just that I feel like we could do more. Like ask someone for help.”

Emily sighed. “There is no else Jamie. We just…have to make do with ourselves.” She didn’t wait for a response before getting up to go check on Mary.

Jamie remained seated. Formulating a plan in his head. He knew Mary and Emily would be against it so for now he kept it to himself. But it was time to take matters into his own hands.

****************

One day later and it was time for Mary’s surgery. Emily had tried to get her to build her strength up but she was still so weak. Her father continued to deny her illness and act shady with regards to Bea. Emily and Jamie kept a close eye on her and made sure she was always in sights of one of the two. As such, Emily remained home with Bea while Jamie accompanied Mary to her surgery. Luckily the doctor said she would be able to rest at home after a day or so and he would make visits to see how she was doing.

Mary herself seemed calm about the whole situation. Mostly she wanted to remain strong for Jamie, Emily, and Bea and not show how scared she really was. She knew they were already worrying about her enough as it is. But today was the moment of truth. To find out if she was dying or not. It was a terrifying and surreal thing to experience and it made her feel more helpless than anything she experienced before.

Still, she kept her head and spirits high as the doctor prepped her for the surgery. She was able to have one last moment with Jamie before he was escorted out of the room and her world faded to black.

Jamie sat in the waiting area for hours while Mary underwent her surgery. He couldn’t stop the bounce in his leg or the biting of his fingertips as he waited for the doctor to tell him the results. Eventually he ceased his nervous movements and sat with his head in his hands, deep in thought. He knew what he was going to do if the news was bad, he just wasn’t sure how it would all play out once the ball was rolling.

A cough interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to the doctor standing in the entryway. The look on his face told Jamie everything he needed to know.

“I’m sorry. I did what I could but…it’s clearly stomach cancer. And I’m afraid…it’s spread to the surrounding organs. There is nothing more that can be done.”

Jamie felt like throwing himself on the ground and screaming. How could this be happening? And to his sister of all people. She had always been the epitome of health. Didn’t smoke or drink…it was unreal. Though he felt like screaming and crying and yelling Jamie remained stone faced.

“How long?” he asked. He knew there was nothing that could be done to save his sister, so now it was time for action.

“Could be days, could be weeks. It’s sometimes hard to tell with these things. But…soon. I’m very sorry son.”

Jamie just nodded at his words.

“C’mon. She’s in the recovery room. You can go sit with her if you like. Mind you the drugs will make her loopy for a while.”

The doctor led Jamie to Mary’s bedside then left the siblings be.

Mary was still out like a light. Jamie couldn’t help but stare at her peaceful yet hollowing face as he came to terms with the fact that his sister was going to die. Actually die. He finally let the tears flow free as he grabbed Mary’s hand and muttered apologies over and over to her. He would happily give his life up for hers if he could. She was a mother for god’s sake. Then Jamie thought of how Bea would have to experience the death of her mother just like him and Mary did. Even if Bea didn’t know Mary was her actual mother, she was still her mama in every way that counts. He cried harder and lifted his head to the sky, silently asking every deity possible why this was happening.

After calming down some, he kissed Mary's head and let go of her hand to reach into his bag and pull out some paper and a pencil.

Then he wrote a letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. Things are progressing, sadly. I had to do some research to find out about how cancer was dealt with back in those days and how surgeries like this were possible as anesthesia became more available starting in the 1800's. 
> 
> Also - I have a weird question for those that want to answer. Should I include Charthur smut? I mean their relationship will progress to that level anyways but I am happy just alluding to them having sex instead of including the whole scenes. Also, I have never written smut but if people want it I guess I can try :)


	7. Making The Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Been a while.
> 
> Firstly, I want to say that I hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy from the pandemic. Please, please, please make sure you take care of yourself and take precautions to not get others sick. Especially those that are more at risk. It's a bit scary out there right now so I hope everyone is keeping their spirits high and staying strong!
> 
> I myself am working from home for the time being, and my town is pretty much completely shut down. Soooooooo now I have more time to write :)
> 
> This is a bit of a longer chapter and it was a struggle to write if I'm being honest. Probably because it's mostly filler but I felt it necessary to include. Arthur gets #10-PlySoft in this chapter.

Arthur breathed in a deep breath and took a second to close his eyes and enjoy the feeling of the warm sun on his face before exhaling and returning his focus to the fishing rod clutched in his hand.

He watched the water shimmering before him, thinking back on the events that occurred in the past few weeks. Escaping Blackwater, letting go of Mary, kissing Charles…

“Uncle Arthur?” He snapped his attention back to the present.

“Ah I’m sorry Jack, my mind was wandering. Did you say something?”

He looked down at his young nephew whom Abigail had asked to keep occupied for a bit.

“Just that this is boring.” Jack pouted.

“Boring?!” Arthur said in mock exaggeration.

“Ya. I thought fishing would be more fun.”

Arthur let out a little laugh. “Well it’s fun when you start catching fish.” He looked out towards the river again, realizing they hadn’t had a single bite since they got there.

“I guess this wasn’t the best time of day to go fishing…” he muttered. “Still, it’s better than being in camp right?”

Jack screwed his face up in thought, “I guess…but camp is boring too. I don’t have anyone to play with. Everyone is always busy with grown up stuff.”

Arthur gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry Jack, I’m sure its rough being the only kid around.”

Jack nodded then looked thoughtful. “Do you think one of the other ladies will have a baby soon?”

Arthur almost choked on the air in his lungs. “Wh-what? Why would you ask that? Do you even know where babies come from?”

Jack looked confused for a second before answering. “Uncle Sean said they come from a Ma and Pa, and that they wrestle around and sometimes make a baby. And then the baby grows in the Ma’s belly. But he didn’t say how the baby gets in the Ma’s belly or how it gets out. How did I get out of my Ma’s belly Uncle Arthur?”

Arthur stood frozen. This was not how he thought this fishing trip would go. “I-uh…don’t know much about that Jack. Know one ever told me either,” he lied.

Arthur gripped his fishing pole as if he was strangling the life out of it. _I am going to kill that Irish bastard the next time I see him_.

Jack looked down in defeat. “Oh, okay.”

Arthur sighed and knelt down to Jack’s level, placing his pole down and putting his hand on his shoulder. “Look Jack, why you asking about this anyway?”

Jack kicked the dirt at his feet without looking up, “Well if one of the ladies had a baby, I would have someone to play with,” he explained sadly.

Arthur squeezed his shoulder in comfort. He had to give the kid credit for thinking all this through in his head, but he couldn’t see any babies joining the gang anytime soon. Unless they came from Dutch and Molly, or Karen and Sean…both terrifying thoughts for very different reasons. Jack’s own parents were certainly not going to give him a sibling any time soon.

“Ah well I’m sorry Jack, I don’t think anyone is planning on having any babies any time soon. ‘Sides, a baby is too young for you play with anyways. You would have to wait a couple years before you could play with them.”

“Oh, okay,” he reluctantly accepted Arthur’s words.

Arthur gave him one last pat then stood, “C’mon, I bet we can catch a fish if we try real hard.”

Jack looked towards the water then back up to Arthur, “Can I go pick some flowers instead? I saw some red ones over there and I want to make Mama a necklace with them.”

Arthur smiled at Jack’s kindhearted gesture. This kid was too innocent to be running around with a gang of thieves and murderers.

“Sure Jack, I think your Ma would be real happy if you made her a necklace. I’ll keep fishing while you work. Just don’t stray too far okay?”

“Okay Uncle Arthur!” and Jack was off.

Arthur chuckled at Jack’s sudden change in behavior then grabbed his pole and continued his futile attempt at catching a fish.

Taking the young boy fishing, Jack wanting another kid around…it all got Arthur thinking. Well reminiscing actually. About a young blonde boy with eyes that matched his pa’s. Arthur remembers teaching him how to fish too.

_Isaac._

It’s not often his mind wonders to his boy in heaven these days. Still, when it does he can’t help but feel that familiar stab of pain and regret in his chest. He knows that no matter what happens for the rest of his life, Eliza and Isaac’s deaths will be his single greatest failure.

Initially, after their murders Arthur was obsessed with finding and killing those responsible, with no pause to grieve. But after he made those murdering bastards pay, there was just…regret. All he could do was think about what he could have done differently to prevent their deaths. He almost became obsessed with mentally exploring roads untraveled and how he could have prevented the tragedy. He felt immense guilt when he realized he hadn’t even tried to get them to join the gang to keep a better eye on them.

But what would have happened if he had asked them to join the gang? Would they still be alive? Would Eliza have even said yes?

He could just picture how it could have been. Eliza helping out with the women, connecting with Abigail about being a mother. An older Isaac playing with Jack and showing him the ropes. Jack actually having a friend to play with, someone he might even see as an older brother.

Just like him and John.

Now that thought nearly broke him right then and there. Maybe Arthur could have been an example to John on how a father is supposed to act. Maybe John wouldn’t have run away, maybe their relationship wouldn’t be so strained and they could bond at the sight of their sons growing up together, maybe…

Arthur stopped himself. He knew where thinking of “maybes” ended up. Absolutely nowhere. His son and Eliza were still gone and there was nothing he could do to change that. Focusing on the present is the only option he has.

“Hey look at this!”

Speaking of the present…

“Hey what?” he responded to Jack.

“I finished my necklace for mama.”

Arthur smiled and walked over, kneeling by Jack to praise his handiwork. His head shot up when he suddenly heard two horses approaching. He scowled when he got a glimpse of their riders…

****************

The Pinkertons showing up while him and Jack were fishing certainly disturbed Arthur. But not as much as Dutch’s lackadaisical response to finding out the Pinkertons were hot on their trail. It’s like Arthur’s words went in one ear and out the other.

‘Do nothing’ Dutch says. The idea of just letting the Pinkertons get closer and closer to the gang made Arthur sick to his stomach. But ever the loyal son, he followed Dutch’s orders. Still, it left him feeling antsy.

He looked around camp to try and find something to distract himself. His gaze finally landed on Charles who was sitting near the fire sharpening arrows.

As if feeling Arthur’s gaze, Charles looked up and met eyes with him, giving a subtle smile as if to beckon Arthur over.

Arthur smirked and obliged Charles’ silent request, heart fluttering as they made eye contact. He already forgot why he was upset with Dutch.

It had been about two weeks since their first kiss. They managed to sneak in a few more intimate moments with each other since then, but it was nothing more than a few quick kisses and lingering touches. Too many eyes around camp for them to display their feelings how they wished. Still, they managed to discreetly show each other affection in their own ways. That mostly included simple kind gestures that wouldn’t look out of ordinary for two people who were close friends.

“Hey there.” Arthur greeted.

“Hey yourself.” Charles responded with a smile.

“Wha’chu working on?” Arthur gestured to the arrows.

“Just making a few improvements to these arrows. Was thinking about going hunting. Saw some deer nearby. You interested?” He smirked at Arthur already knowing the answer.

Arthur scratched his chin pretending to ponder the offer before smirking and answering, “Sure, I think I can take some time out of my busy schedule to go hunting.”

“Alright then.” Charles stood. “Mount up cowboy,” he said lowly then walked past Arthur, giving a quick pinch to backside.

Arthur let out a quiet yelp then looked around to make sure no one saw. Sure enough, the few people loitering around camp were focused on whatever task they were working on. Still didn’t stop the blush from forming on Arthur’s face.

He tipped his head low to hide his embarrassment under his hat then followed Charles’ path to the horses.

“I’ll get you back for that.” Arthur growled when he caught up to Charles.

“For what?” Charles asked innocently.

“For what you just did back there!” Arthur whispered loudly.

“What did I do?” he asked challengingly.

“You-!“ Arthur couldn’t even say it but he saw the smug look on Charles’ face as he mounted Taima.

“Oh, I will get you back,” Arthur threatened.

“Whatever you say Arthur. Now c’mon, we’re burning daylight.”

Arthur humphed then smirked as he watched Charles ride ahead. He mounted Bear then followed after him.

During their ride Arthur caught Charles up on what happened when he went fishing with Jack.

“Sean actually told Jack babies are made when a ma and pa wrestle together?” Charles asked in disbelief.

“Did you not hear the part about the Pinkertons showing up?” Arthur questioned sarcastically.

“No I heard. So what does Dutch plan to do?”

“Nothin” Arthur spat.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing...he said to do nothing. Said that they only confronted me to try and get us to do something stupid, get us out of hiding. So, Dutch says we do nothing.”

“What do you think?” Charles inquired.

Arthur didn’t know what to say. What he thought didn’t really matter anymore. Hasn’t for a while now. Dutch seemed to do what he wanted to do regardless of what anyone else has to say.

“I-I don’t know. But I don’t like doin…nothing. Feels like we should at least move out of the same area they’re looking for us in! But convincing Dutch of anything these days is a challenge and half.”

Charles hummed in agreement. He couldn’t argue with the fact that Dutch seemed to listen to Arthur less and less, especially compared to when he first joined up with the gang.

They chatted for a little while more before Charles indicated to the wooded area where he saw deer grazing a few days prior.

They dismounted and headed into the woods on foot, bows and arrows at the ready.

“Alright, let’s see how well your tracking skills have gotten.” Charles challenged.

Arthur groaned a little and began searching the ground for tracks.

It was only 30 minutes later the two men were crouched down low together eyeing three does standing in a clearing. Charles gestured for Arthur to get his bow ready for the shot.

Arthur gulped nervously and did as he was told. But as he pulled the arrow back, readying his shot he felt Charles’ shuffle up behind him to fix his posture. Just like the first time they hunted together.

Instantly Arthur’s body temperature rose and all he could do was focus on Charles’ touch. How good it felt to be handled with a tender hand.

He tried to reign in his focus on the deer, but all his blood was swiftly leaving his brain and moving down his body to places he did not want it to go. 

He sat there aiming his arrow with no real focus behind what he was doing. Charles seemed to sense his hesitation.

“C’mon Arthur. I’ve seen you hit your target almost every time now. You can do this,” he whispered.

Arthur tried to focus for another few seconds before finally giving up. He let out a breath and dropped his arms, “Ya well…you only seen me shoot good when I’m not…distracted.”

“Distracted?” Charles asked confused.

Arthur didn’t respond, just turned his head so his hat would hide his face. Not that it helped. Charles still got a good look at him. He could see Arthur blushing all the way to his ears. It was then he realized what Arthur meant.

He looked down at his hands which were still clutching Arthur’s waist to keep him in position. Then he looked back up.

Finally, a devilish smile formed on his face.

He slowly shifted forward so that his mouth could reach the back of Arthur’s neck and he stared to pepper him with kisses as he wound his arms around Arthur’s chest and midsection.

“I distract you, do I?” Charles asked playfully while Arthur still tried to hide his blushing face from him.

“M-maybe…” he responded, relaxing into Charles’ embrace.

Charles just kept kissing his nape and behind his ear before raising his left hand to turn Arthur’s face towards him. Arthur let him, letting out a moan when Charles kissed him deeply on the lips and didn’t stop, even knocking Arthur’s hat onto the forest floor in the process.

Arthur twisted around so that he was fully facing Charles. They both moved lower until Arthur was laying flat on his back on the ground. Their lips never leaving each other as they moved.

Charles’ legs straddled Arthur’s body as the two men continued to kiss.

Arthur was utterly blissed out and in awe this was actually happening. He had forgotten how good it felt to love, and be loved back.

He lifted his arms to fist his hands through Charles’ hair which made Charles moan in pleasure, spurring both men into kissing more hungrily.

Charles eventually broke the contact so they could both catch their breath. He held himself up above Arthur who was looking up at him with hooded eyes. They both stared at each other, taking in the moment.

“You’re so beautiful.” Charles finally whispered. And by god did he mean it. To see Arthur panting beneath him, his too-long golden locks fanned around his head like a halo, his beautiful blue eyes looking right into his soul, his now swollen lips parted in pleasure…Charles only hoped the mental image would last until his dying day.

Arthur still had his hands clutched in Charles’ hair, he continued to stare wonderingly up at him before he finally registered what Charles said.

“Now I know you’re not talking about me,” he chuckled. “Why a handsome man like you would waste their time on my ugly mug like me…I’ll never now.”

Charles didn’t laugh with him though. How could this man not see how beautiful he was? It was downright sinful. He HAD to know. And Charles wanted to be the one to show him.

He planted his hands on either side of Arthur’s head then leaned down to him, resting his forehead on top of Arthur’s and looking him in the eyes.

“Listen to me Arthur Morgan. You are beautiful.” He kissed him on the lips once more before moving to the side and playfully kissing and sucking under Arthur’s jawbone. “Beautiful,” he repeated.

Arthur let out a moan and clutched him even more.

“Charles…” he breathed out, losing his ability to form coherent thoughts.

“I’ll make you see it one day. How much you deserve this,” Charles said between kisses.

Arthur moaned more and shifted uncomfortably under him. Both men had obvious bulges under their pants and the friction of Charles on top of him was not helping Arthur. 

But before they could get too carried away with themselves, they were interrupted by a nearby rustle in the woods.

Before Arthur could even register the noise, Charles had sat up and pulled his sawed-off shotgun from his holster and pointed it in the direction of the noise. He was still straddling Arthur who was left defenseless on the ground trying to awkwardly turn his head towards the noise too.

“What is it?” Arthur whispered up to him.

“I don’t know,” Charles whispered back then gently moved off of Arthur, using his free hand to help lift him up while keeping his eyes trained on where the noise came from. The deer were long gone by now, no doubt scared off by Arthur and Charles’ activities.

Arthur picked his hat back up and gripped the gun strapped to his hip. The rustling continued until the offending party finally broke through into the clearing.

Both men sighed in relief when they realized it was just a wild horse meandering through the woods.

“Well that could have been worse,” Charles whispered while holstering his gun.

“Yeah,” Arthur whispered back, not wanting to spook the horse away. He then got a good look at the horse. It was gorgeous, had a shiny silver coat with black tail and mane. It looked like a…

“I-I think that’s a mustang!” he whispered excitedly.

“Oh yeah, I think you’re right. Beautiful.” Charles said.

Then he noticed Arthur start to move towards it.

What are you doing?!” He tried to grab Arthur’s arm but he was just out of his reach.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. Just need to calm it down first.”

“Arthur!” Charles tried again but was ignored. Arthur was halfway to the horse now. Charles was afraid to make any sudden moves to get Arthur back in case the wild animal lashed out and hurt Arthur. So, he watched helplessly as Arthur slowly shuffled closer and closer.

The horse finally noticed Arthur approaching and startled a little, letting out agitated whinnies and throwing its head back and forth. But Arthur was quick to calm it down.

“Whoa, whoa! Shh! It’s okay, shhh.” He had both hands raised and continued to slowly work his way to the mustang while calming it down.

“It’s okay b-” He paused looking thoughtful then dipped his head low to look under the horse before continuing.

“I mean, it’s okay girl.”

He finally reached her without spooking her off and he moved slowly to pat her on the side while continuing to make calming noises.

Charles sighed in relief, then smiled as he watched Arthur be so tender with the wild horse. This is the side of Arthur Morgan that people are blind to. While the gang saw Arthur as Dutch’s cold-blooded protege, Charles saw who he truly was. Saw the things that actually made Arthur happy.

Charles’ smile suddenly fell when he saw Arthur sneakily slip a lasso around the horse’s neck then say, “Alright girl, you’re not gonna like this very much.”

He then proceeded to haul himself up on top of the wild mustang who immediately tried to violently buck him off.

“Arthur!” Charles shouted in concern. What was this man doing? A wild horse like that needed days or even weeks of training before it could be mounted!

“Stay back Charles!” Was all Arthur could yell out as he held on for dear life while still trying to verbally calm the horse down.

He was going to get himself killed, Charles was sure of it. His heart nearly pounded out of his chest as he watched Arthur try to tame the wild beast. But to his surprise, the horse eventually started to calm down.

When Arthur had her completely relaxed, he gave her praises and fished an apple out of his satchel for her to eat.

“There girl. See? It’s okay. Plenty more where that came from if you behave.”

Charles stood in shock as Arthur jumped down from the horse who remained calm and even obeyed Arthur’s lead when he pulled her along behind him. He was smiling from ear to ear until he noticed Charles’ shocked and concerned face.

“What?” he asked innocently.

Charles stood mouth agape before he could start speaking again. “I-How did you do that?”

Arthur just shrugged. “I don’t know. Done it a million times before. They always calm down eventually.”

“I’ve never seen anyone tame a wild horse like that before. It was amazing Arthur.”

Arthur scratched his neck awkwardly at the praise. “Heh weren’t nothin.”

Charles shook his head at Arthur’s humbleness. “You scared me to death though. Thought there was no way you would make it out of there in one piece.”

“Well, consider that my payback for you pinching my ass in camp earlier.”

Charles laughed at that. “Well I knew no one was looking so I took advantage.” He smirked at Arthur as he walked up to him to inspect the horse.

“So I guess she’s yours now. And she’s beautiful. What are you going to name her?”

Arthur turned back to the horse and ran his hand down her neck, contemplating. “Hmm, don’t know yet. I gotta feel her out for a while. Get a sense of her personality, y’know?”

“Sure,” Charles smiled. Then he noticed the fading colors of the sunset.

“It’s getting late. Better start heading back. Might not have caught any deer but you’re going to be the talk of camp when we ride in with that horse in tow.

“I can feel the jealousy already,” Arthur snickered.

****************

“Well that went well.” Arthur said sarcastically.

“Quit your moaning, its just some sheep rustlin’. Not like we was trying to rob a bank. Course we ain’t gonna make a fortune.”

“Ya but…18 percent? Really Marston?”

“I don’t see you coming up with any ideas.” John threw back at him. “Now c’mon, Dutch is waiting for us at the saloon.”

Arthur growled a little but didn’t reply. He knew he wasn’t being entirely fair to John but the last few days had really put him in a bad mood. His new horse threw him when she got spooked by a snake, Dutch was ignoring his pleas to do something about the Pinkertons, and Micah got him caught up in a stagecoach robbery. One that ended in a crash and a shootout. And now John had him rustling sheep for what will likely be just a few dollars.

The two men mounted their horses and were about to ride to the saloon when John nodded toward a crowd gathered on the other side of town.

“What you reckon that’s about?”

“Don’t know. Let’s go see.” Arthur pulled his horse to that direction.

When they got closer they could see the crowd had gathered in front of the gallows, where two men stood with ropes around their necks.

John and Arthur dismounted then walked closer to stand at the back of the crowd.

“Sorry sons of bitches,” John muttered to Arthur who hummed in return.

Now that they were a bit closer Arthur got a good look at the two men. The one on left was a calm looking blonde man, dressed like a farmhand and a bit scraggily with sun tanned skin. The one on the right was a dark haired man dressed a bit nicer, well groomed, and whimpering with tears streaming down his face. They both looked to be in their 20’s.

The crowd murmured amongst each other until the sheriff made his way to the platform. He cleared his throat causing a hush to fall over the crowd. Though Arthur swore he could hear some light sobs coming from the front.

“Today we witness the expulsion of these vile transgressors from our community!” the Sheriff shouted before turning to the two men.

“Jeremy Finch and Robert Weber, you have been found guilty of sodomy! Caught in the act by Mr. Weber’s brother-in-law no less!”

The crowd let out a collective gasp and the sobs upfront grew louder, undoubtedly a woman. Likely Mr. Weber’s wife if Arthur had to guess.

 _So that’s what this was then. The execution of two inverts,_ Arthur thought. His face immediately hardened and he clenched his jaw. He could feel John’s stare on him.

“Arthur…” he began, but Arthur shushed him and continued to stare forward.

“But Arthur…” and Arthur shushed him again harshly.

“That’s right,” continued the sheriff. “Mr. Weber was seen in his barn performing unspeakable acts with his employee Mr. Finch! We will not stand for such immoral, sinful behavior in this community!”

The crowd made noises of agreement and light cheers. One man at the front even shouted, “hang ‘em!”

Once the crowd quieted down the sheriff turned to the men again. “Do you have any last words before you meet your judgement?”

The blonde man remained silent and stone-faced but the dark haired man, who Arthur had guessed was Mr. Weber, started sobbing and shouting.

“I ain’t no filthy invert like him! H-he forced me to do those things! Kill him! Not me! Please Arlene you know I would never do anything like that!” he pleaded to his wife below who continued to cry harder.

“Sure didn’t look like you were forced into it! My sister is better off without a sicko husband like you!” an angry voice shouted from next to the wife.

“Please!” Mr. Weber continued to beg. “What about our son? What about-”

“Alright now, that’s enough out of everyone!” the sheriff intervened. He looked to the blonde man.

“Mr. Finch? Any last words?”

He continued to stand frozen and emotionless. His gaze never leaving the horizon.

“Very well then,” the sheriff nodded to the man at the lever.

Arthur watched on as Mr. Weber continued to beg for his life and Mr. Finch remained stoic. Though at one point Arthur swore Mr. Finch’s eyes shifted down to his and the two held each other’s gaze for a moment before the two men dropped through the platform.

That second before death whisked them away shook Arthur to his core. Why did Mr. Finch stare at him like that? Like…like _he knew._

“Jesus,” John muttered next to him.

The crowd started to clear away and Arthur finally laid eyes on Mr. Weber’s wife-turned-widow sobbing as another man comforted her. No doubt the brother-in-law that turned them into the law. He started to lead her away from the gallows and when they turned around, Arthur could see she was holding an infant in her arms.

“How could he do this to us?” she sobbed and clutched the baby tighter when they walked by.

Arthur didn’t know how to process everything that just happened, but he did know he was _angry_. Angry at what though he wasn’t even sure.

He turned around and started to quickly walk back to his horse. John didn’t notice at first and had to jog to catch up with him.

“Christ Arthur-I, I don’t know what to say…”

“Ain’t nothin’ to be said,” Arthur grumbled. Lord, it was as if John thought every invert in the world was friends with each other. Arthur didn’t even know these men. Why should he be upset?

“But I mean it’s just that you…er. What I mean to say is that um…you’re like…uh,” John struggled with his words while Arthur grew angrier and angrier.

“Like what?” he ground out.

“Well you know…its just that I thought you might be upset what with you and Charles-”

Arthur didn’t wait for him to finish before grabbing John by the collar with both hands and shoving him against a nearby post.

He got close to John’s face, “Not one more fucking word Marston. Not. One. That back there?” he pointed his thumb towards the gallows, “Ain’t got nothing to do with me. Or Charles. Got it?”

John quickly nodded in understanding.

Arthur released him with another shove. “Great. Now let’s go. We kept Dutch waiting long enough.”

He mounted his horse then waited for John to do the same before following behind him to the saloon. He couldn’t help but give one last glance to the bodies now hanging lifeless, swinging back and forth in the breeze like windchimes. He tore his gaze away to keep himself from dwelling any further on the two men.

Mr. Finch and Mr. Weber…

****************

Arthur urged his horse forward to escape the lawmen and Cornwall’s men who were currently chasing him out of Valentine. Their meeting with Dutch ended in a shootout (because of course it did) when Leviticus Cornwall showed up seeking vengeance against Dutch for robbing his train. Strauss got shot but they were able to get him out safely. Then Dutch ordered Arthur to stay behind and make sure they weren’t followed while they rode back to camp to pack. There certainty was no possibility of sticking around now. Arthur couldn’t complain though, he wanted to move as soon as the Pinkertons approached him while he was fishing with Jack.

He finally outran the men chasing him and steered his horse toward the direction of camp.

When he arrived he saw everyone bustling around trying to pack as quickly as possible.

He walked up to Dutch’s tent just as Hosea was leaving, obviously furious with Dutch.

“Constipated as usual!” Dutch called after him.

“So,” Arthur greeted, “where we movin’?”

Dutch waved him over to look at the map.

“Micah says he knows a place we can lie low for a while.” Arthur held back an annoyed scoff.

“Here,” Dutch pointed, “Dewberry Creek. Why don’t you and Charles ride ahead to take a look, clear off anyone you find before the whole lot of us move in looking so conspicuous.”

“And how we gonna do that?” Arthur asks annoyed.

“I don’t know, start dancing?” Dutch responded snarkily.

“Looks like I’ve turned into the goddamned errand boy,” Arthur complained as he turned to find Charles.

“You have turned into my son. You worry because I worry. We are just the same!” Dutch shouted to him.

Arthur didn’t bother responding. Everything about today had him feeling like an overfilled dam, ready to burst at any moment.

He looked around trying to spot Charles. He finally caught sight of him helping Bill load up one of the wagons.

“Charles!” he called him over, “Come with me, we got work to do.”

“Alright,” Charles responded and followed Arthur to the horses. They mounted up and rode out of camp. Arthur rode a few feet ahead of Charles, not even sparing him a second glance. Charles could tell by Arthur’s posture he was fighting an internal rage. Coupled with the fact that he wasn’t even acknowledging him? It was clear, Arthur was _pissed_.

Charles debated if he should stay quiet and let him work through his anger in silence, but Arthur hadn’t even told him what they were doing.

“So where are we headed?” Charles asked calmly.

“Dewberry Creek,” he responded flatly. “Dutch wants us to move there.” More silence.

“Alright,” Charles responded then waited a minute before continuing. “So I take it things didn’t go well in Valentine? I heard Strauss got shot.”

Charles knew he was pushing his luck a little bit. Obviously, Arthur was not happy about what happened but Charles didn’t think him holding in his rage would help anyone. If Arthur wanted to scream his frustrations out to Charles, he was welcome to. But Arthur always seemed the type to hold everything in. Making sure his feelings never got in the way of the plan. Charles wanted to change that. Teach Arthur that it was okay to talk to him about these things, without fear of judgement or feeling like he’s a burden.

“No. It did not go well,” Arthur snarled. “Leviticus Cornwall showed up with a bunch of guns for hire and started shooting at us. Held John and Strauss hostage. He was pissed about his train we robbed up north. The one Hosea told Dutch _not_ to rob. So now, we gotta run _again_.”

There it is. That growing frustration with Dutch and his recent decisions. But, Arthur remained his obedient son. Always inclined to meet the never-ending requirement to play his role as the subservient strongarm of Dutch van der Linde. It filled Charles with sadness more than anything. How willing he was to sacrifice his true self for the sake of others.

He didn’t press Arthur any further after that.

They eventually reached Dewberry Creek.

“Seems _very_ open,” Charles observed.

“Yeah,” Arthur agreed. “Not surprising since this place was Micah’s idea. Let’s look around.”

They split off to see what they could find.

“Hey! I see something over there.”

Arthur followed Charles’ gaze to where a body lied motionless in the dry creek bed.

They determined the man had been shot. That’s when they noticed the nearby camp ahead.

“See that camp there?” he asked Charles.

“Yeah, let’s check it out.”

“Sure,” Arthur agreed. “But if there’s any issues…shoot first, debate second.”

Charles scrunched his face up in confusion at that. “I’m not gonna shoot for the sake of it Arthur.”

“Survival’s for the sake of it,” he argued back angrily. “Now quit talking.”

“You started it,” Charles threw back. Now he was starting to get annoyed with Arthur’s bad attitude. He felt like he was talking to an entirely different person than the one that he covered with kisses on the forest floor just one week prior.

They looked around the ransacked camp only speaking to each other when necessary. It looked abandoned. That is, until they found a woman cowering in fear with her two children underneath one of the wagons. She was pointing a shotgun at them, clearly frightened of the two strangers.

The two men immediately put their weapons away and raised their hands to show they mean no harm.

“It’s okay…it’s okay,” Charles tried calming them down. “You can come out of there.”

They continued whimpering but started to make their way out from under the wagon. The woman never pointing the gun away from them.

“We don’t mean you no harm. You okay?” Charles asked them cautiously. But they still wouldn’t say a word.

“He said, are you okay?” Arthur tried.

The woman finally spoke but Arthur and Charles looked at one another, equally confused by the strange language.

“G-German?” the lady asked.

“No…,” Arthur responded. Figures they don’t even speak English.

“Now go on, get out of here.” He tried to shoo them away but they stayed put. “Go! We need the land, so go!”

Charles did not like how Arthur was talking to them. They were clearly terrified and obviously been through hell.

“Arthur st-!”

But he interrupted Charles. “Get the hell out of here!” he continued to berate the poor family.

“They took our father,” the young girl finally spoke up.

“Who did?” Charles asked.

“M-men, last night.”

“Where did they take him?”

“That way.” The girl pointed behind them.

Arthur gave him a disbelieving look. “Ain’t no business of ours. We don’t even speak their language.”

Charles was fed up with him now. He knew this was not the true Arthur Morgan next to him. Right now, he was just playing as the Van der Linde gang’s ruthless soldier.

“You ain’t as tough and dense as all that,” Charles threw at him. “C’mon.”

Charles swore a look of hurt flashed across Arthur’s face but it was quickly replaced with annoyance as Arthur threw his arms up in defeat and followed.

They mounted up and quickly found tracks to follow, but Arthur continued to act reluctant towards saving the German man.

“What is with you?” Charles finally demanded.

“What do you mean?”

Charles gave a quiet huff of frustration. “You were just gonna send that woman and her children on their way?”

“We’re wanted men Charles. We got Pinkertons breathing down our necks. We should be moving camp, not running off on some wild goose chase.”

“Come on Arthur, that’s not how you are,” Charles disputed.

“Well…maybe…maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” Arthur tried to say confidently but ended up sounding more sorrowful than anything.

Now that right there hurt Charles deeply. Arthur trying to downgrade the depth of their relationship was just plain insulting. Charles immediately slowed his horse so Arthur was next to him. Once he was close enough, he grabbed the horn on Arthur’s saddle and pulled him as close to him as possible, looking into his beautiful blue eyes, so full of uncertainty.

“I think I’m the only one in this gang who knows exactly who you are Arthur Morgan. And who you pretend to be.” He let go of the horn then urged Taima forward, following the tracks on the ground. Arthur stayed quiet but trailed along.

They eventually reached the shores of Flat Iron Lake where the tracks led them to a clearing.

“Look,” Charles spoke up. “There’s a camp ahead.”

They rode closer but couldn’t see anyone around.

“Seems deserted. Let’s take a look around,” Charles suggested.

“Sure,” Arthur agreed.

They both dismounted and started walking around.

“So, where is this guy?” Arthur wondered out loud.

“I don’t know,” he responded frustratingly, “But you know something? This is a better camp spot than back there. Much easier to defend.”

“Huh, I think you may be right about that,” Arthur agreed. He then heard some muffled sounds coming from the middle of the camp. Sure enough he could see a man tied and gagged wriggling around on the ground.

“I think we found our feller Charles.”

Charles walked over, “Quick, cut him free and let’s get the hell out of here.”

Arthur unsheathed his knife and promptly freed the man of his bonds and gag. As soon as he did though the man shouted at them in German, then it started to rain bullets.

“Take cover!” Arthur shouted to Charles. And for the second time that day, Arthur had to shoot his way out of a sticky situation.

Once the last of their enemies fell, Arthur and Charles helped the German up and onto the back of Arthur’s horse.

“C’mon then let’s get you back to your family,” Arthur sighed. “Charles, why don’t you ride back to the gang so you can lead them here.”

“Sure,” Charles agreed. “After, I go with you to take this man back.”

Arthur gave him and weird look but didn’t argue, “Fine, have it your way then. Let’s ride.”

They rode back to the woman and her children. The whole time being forced to listen to the ramblings of the German man whom they could not understand at all.

“There they are,” Arthur announced as they approached his family who was waiting with a prepped wagon.

The three men jumped down from the horses. The German man ran to his family and four rejoiced in their reunion. Arthur looked at Charles who was smiling warmly at the sight. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all…

They turned to Arthur and Charles, assumingly thanking them in their language.

“Uh you’re welcome,” Arthur responded. “Now go on, get out of here. It ain’t safe.”

When the family made no move to leave Arthur yelled, “Get out of here!” motioning for them to leave.

Charles rolled his eyes when he even yelled “Vamos!” at them.

“That’s Spanish,” he corrected.

“S’all gibberish to me,” Arthur responded then turned around when he felt a tap on the shoulder.

There the German man stood with a smile, extending his hand to Arthur. In it, a shiny gold bar.

Arthur slowly reached out to take it, “Oh, I-uh, thank you. I guess.”

The man nodded in appreciation then joined his family on the wagon. They all turned around to wave their goodbyes, Arthur and Charles did the same.

“Well then,” Arthur started once they were gone, “Guess that wasn’t a waste of time after all.” He held up the gold bar for Charles to see before shoving it into his satchel.

Charles just crossed his arms at him.

Arthur sighed knowing Charles wasn’t exactly happy with him, “So you wanna go get the rest of ‘em now? I can go back to the new campsite, start clearing away the bodies?”

“Sure,” Charles said simply, “But first, I want you to tell me what’s wrong with you.”

“Nothing is wrong with me Charles,” Arthur answered, annoyed.

“I disagree.”

Arthur huffed, “Look Charles I-,” he huffed again, “I know I been acting sour to you all day, and…I’m sorry. You don’t deserve it.”

Charles hummed in disapproval at Arthur’s words. “It’s not that Arthur, I can handle your sour mood just fine. I want to know what’s bothering you. Why you’re so agitated.”

Arthur looked genuinely confused at Charles’ words. “Agitated? No, look I-it’s just that sometimes…I got no choice but to do what’s best for the gang. Even if that means hurtin’ other people in the process. Don’t mean I like it.”

Charles uncrossed his arms and let out an annoyed sigh, “Arthur. It’s one thing to kill a bunch of O’Driscoll’s or Pinkertons who are shooting at you or your friends. It’s another to turn away a poor woman and her children after they’ve been attacked and had their father kidnapped. I know you know there’s a difference in that. Which is why I think you’ve got something bothering you. You’re not acting like yourself.”

“Look Charles, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just a bit crazy right now with the Pinkertons chasing us across half the damn country, and now we’ve got Leviticus Cornwall after us…I’m-I’m doin’ the best I can,” he relented then walked to a nearby stump and sat down in defeat.

Charles gave him a sympathetic look but Arthur had his head hung low, refusing to stare at Charles any longer.

Charles walked wordlessly over to him, then kneeled in front of him. He rested one hand on Arthur’s shoulder then gripped Arthur’s hand with his other. “Oh Arthur…I wish you weren’t the one to take on these burdens.”

“Everyone in the gang has to pull their weight Charles, you know that,” he sighed out.

“Sure, but you do so much more. You’re often the one carrying the full weight of gang. All that responsibility over so many people…don't you ever feel overwhelmed?”

Arthur doesn’t respond and continues to keep his head low, choosing to stare at the grass rather than Charles’ face. But Charles is still kneeling in front of him and he removes his hand from his shoulder and gently moves it under Arthur’s chin, nudging him to look up but his eyes still won’t meet his.

“Arthur look at me.” And he does.

“I will help you in any way I can to carry the burdens you face keeping this gang afloat. If you need anything at all you just ask okay? Even if you just want to talk about what’s bothering you. I want to help you, but I can’t if I don’t know what’s wrong,” he says as he rubs his thumb lovingly at the stubble on Arthur’s chin.

Arthur just gives him a barely there smile then closes his eyes and shakes his head a little, “Oh Charles, I don’t deserve yo-”

Charles doesn’t dare let him finish that sentence and surges forward to kiss him on lips. Backing off before Arthur can react properly.

“Yes you do,” Charles responds as he buries his head in Arthur’s chest and wraps his arms around him.

Arthur breathes out a small laugh then embraces him in return and dips his head down to rest it on top of Charles’.

They hold each other in comfortable silence. Forgetting the world around them for just a few minutes.

Arthur doesn’t know what compels him but he suddenly blurts out, “I saw ‘em hang a pair of inverts in Valentine today. Just before the shootout with Cornwall’s men.”

Charles lifts his head to look at him, blinking in surprise and taking a second to register the unexpected confession, “O-oh? That’s…awful Arthur.”

Arthur doesn’t respond, still trying to process why he even brought it up.

“Is that why you’re so out of sorts today?” Charles fills the silence.

Arthur just shrugs at first then looks off to the side into the distance, seemingly trying to decide if he should say anything else about the event. Charles waits for him to continue if he wants, but he won’t push him.

“John was there too. Said some stupid shit to me afterwards,” he finally says. 

“What did he say?”

Arthur still had his head turned, looking off into space, “I don’t know…h-he was sort of apologizing to me?” he said as he looked back to Charles.

“As if I just watched them hang two of my close friends or something. Like every invert in the world knows one another,” he rolled his eyes.

Charles hummed then stood up, holding his hand out to Arthur to help him stand as well. Arthur grabs it gratefully.

“John isn’t the brightest,” Charles said while lifting Arthur up. “But I get why he wanted to ask if you were okay. Afterall, you understand what’s like to be an invert, to hide from society and the law because of it. Was it upsetting at all to you, the hanging? Make you angry?”

Now Charles felt like he was getting to the root of Arthur’s chaotic behavior today. This hanging probably affected him more than he was willing to admit.

Arthur scratched his chin then lowered his head for a second before looking back up at Charles.

“I don’t know Charles…it was kind of a strange situation. The two men who were hung, Mr. Weber and Mr. Finch, weren’t exactly like us. They was…I guess employer and employee. Finch was a farmhand for Weber. And Weber was married with a kid, the wife was even at the hanging holding their infant son in her arms.”

“Jesus,” Charles said astonished.

“Yeah,” Arthur continued, “And I guess they was caught in the act by the wife’s brother, who then turned them into the law. But when those two men were standing up on the gallows together, it was as if they barely knew each other. Weber kept testifying that he wasn’t no ‘filthy invert’ and that Finch made him do those things with him. Begged they just kill Finch and not him. And Finch…well he didn’t say nothin at all the entire time. Barely moved a muscle. Then they both fell through the floor and…well, you know.”

Charles nods, “That’s…horrible Arthur. Sounds like it was a hard thing to watch.”

Arthur shrugs. “I guess…and I guess I was angry. Angry that Weber cheated on his wife, angry that he denied being an invert and betrayed Finch who was clearly his lover, angry the wife’s brother didn’t mind his own damn business, angry that Weber’s son is gonna grow up without a daddy because of his poor decisions, and angry at Finch for not standing up for himself at the gallows. The whole thing was infuriating! And-and…I guess it also made me feel a little…” he trailed off not knowing how to express what else he felt but Charles could hear the slight tremble in his voice.

“Scared?” Charles finished for him.

Charles watched as Arthur’s face morphed into one of realization. Realization that Charles was right…it scared Arthur.

It was then that Charles realized he had it all wrong today. Arthur wasn’t pissed off...he was panicking. And he didn’t know how to cope. Why would he? Fear was not an emotion he was permitted to as the fiercest protector of the gang. So many people looked to him for assurance in their safety. Surely he would never show even a sliver of fear if it meant everyone else had peace of mind.

Arthur was struggling with what to say, unused to embracing or admitting his fears, “I-I-”

Charles watched Arthur's composure start to slowly crumble as his body flooded with dread at the realization he was truthfully, wholeheartedly fearful. Charles quickly stepped forward and crushed him into a hug, cradling the back of Arthur’s head on his shoulder and rubbing his back soothingly. “It’s okay Arthur,” he whispers.

Arthur returned the embrace and let out a few shuddered breaths, fighting back tears.

“You know,” Arthur’s voice is low and cracks a little with emotion, “One of the things John said to me after the hanging, was that he assumed I was upset considering you and I are-” and he can’t even finish the sentence because he’s crying now. Charles understands though and he continues to rub Arthur’s back and shush his soft cries.

After Arthur takes in a few deep breaths he continues through his cries, “A-and when he said that to me, it just made me think how easily the names called out at the gallows could go from ‘Mr. Weber and Mr. Finch’ to ‘Mr. Morgan and Mr. Smith.’” He let out a few more sobs as he said it.

“Oh Arthur, no. Shh it’s okay.” Charles squeezed him tighter to reassure him. “We can protect each other, and we have the gang to watch our backs. They would never abandon or betray us just for being inverts. Hell, I think half the camp already knows and is excited about it,” Charles chuckled to lighten the mood.

Arthur gives a small laugh too.

“And besides,” Charles continues, “Even _if_ that were to happen, I would never be ashamed to be up there with you. Not for that. And I’d make sure you were the last thing I saw before meeting my end. I don’t have much to live for in this life to begin with, so if that’s how we go then…well at least we’re together. I won’t be afraid as long as you’re next to me.”

Arthur’s cries have died down and he gives a few more sniffles before lifting his head to look at Charles.

“I guess if there’s one good thing we can take away from that, it’s that at least we wouldn’t be leaving any family behind. No wives to widow or children to orphan like Weber. Just the two of us, living this life together and leaving this life together. I wouldn’t be afraid with you next to me either,” he gives Charles a soft smile then leans forward and plants his lips to his in a deep kiss, which Charles happily returns.

They separate and Arthur rests his forehead to Charles’ and whispers, “Thank you.”

Charles tilts his head and kisses the corner of his mouth in response, “You’re welcome.”

They finally part with one last loving glance to each other.

“Guess I should go get the rest of them now,” Charles sighed before squeezing Arthur’s hand one last time then letting go to walk over to Taima.

“Probably should,” Arthur chuckled as Charles mounted. “I’ll see you at the new camp then?”

“I’ll try not to keep you waiting,” Charles teased.

“I’ll make sure to enjoy the peace and quiet before you bring Sean along,” Arthur joked.

Charles gave a soft laugh, “Just don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” And he nudged Taima forward.

Arthur watched as he made his leave. “Be safe, Charles.”

Charles turned his head to look back at him, “You too.”

He watched Charles’ retreating form for a few minutes before walking over to his horse.

He took in a deep breath and sighed contently before mounting, “Alright girl, let’s get going.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos always appreciated :D
> 
> I actually had planned to end this chapter after the Clemens Point camp was set up but it was getting too long so I decided to post what I had.
> 
> Until next chapter, stay safe everyone!


	8. What do I do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Been a hot minute. You would think with quarantine I would find more time to write but believe it or not my work is busier than ever, even with me working from home I'm swamped. Hope everyone is staying well out there!
> 
> A few things to note: Tags have been updated so please be aware of that. For whatever reason I decided this chapter was the chapter to add smut lol. I have never ever written smut before so sorry if its not great. I tried. I also want to apologize for not getting to the meaty part of the story yet with this chapter. I didn't want to just gloss over their bison hunting mission since its one of the few missions they do as a pair. And the more I worked through the chapter the more I wanted to explore that mission. Next chapter will be the long awaited moment I promise!

It had been about a week since the gang settled into their new camp. Arthur had just finished with his daily chores when he noticed Charles sitting on a crate sharpening his knife. He found it funny how just watching Charles perform the simplest of tasks gave him pleasure. The man had a certain…aura about him that just put Arthur at peace. He found himself gravitating towards him as he usually does when he has free time around camp.

“What are you preparing for?” Arthur asked as he approached him.

Charles looked up and smirked when he saw Arthur, “The greatest of gifts.”

“An unguarded stagecoach?” Arthur asked sarcastically.

“No, you simple minded fool,” he chuckled. “Bison.”

“Bison?” 

“Bison.” Charles stood and started moving around Arthur to gather supplies. “From which you can get anything. There’s some over on the plains I believe. I saw a couple a long way off earlier.”

“Ah, so a hunting trip then.”

Charles gave a simple “mhm” as he focused on packing. Arthur continued to wordlessly watch as Charles moved about through his belongings. Charles finally looked up when the silence stretched a little too long. And he couldn’t help but be amused at the lost and pitiful look on Arthur’s face.

“Would you like to join me? I can show you how to hunt one?”

That seemed to snap Arthur out of his moment of self-loathing. “Wha-? Oh, I mean uh…I don’t want to impose.”

Charles gave a small chuckle and finally stopped what he was doing to face Arthur, “You’re not imposing, I want you to come. Why don’t you go grab what you need while I finish up here,” he finished by giving Arthur no room to decline the offer. He knew the silly man would continue to argue that his presence wasn’t wanted until he was blue in the face.

“Well if you insist…” Arthur trailed off.

“I do.” Charles laughed.

Arthur nodded and Charles could see the slight upturn of his lips as he walked away to go pack. He shook his head fondly as he watched him rummage through his trunk. He enjoyed the fact that their sleeping areas were now closer and in line of sight with each other. He suspected Hosea had something to do with that but he couldn’t be too sure.

After a few minutes both men were ready to go.

“Just try not to bring home a wild horse this time,” Charles joked as they made their way to the hitching posts.

“Aw c’mon, Luna is coming along nicely if I do say so myself.”

“So, Luna is it?” This was the first time Charles heard the new horse’s name.

“Ya well,” Arthur shrugged, “Javier gave me the idea. Said it was the Spanish word for moon. Said she kinda looks like it, what with her silver coat and black hair. I don’t know, I just thought it was pretty…” he said sheepishly.

“Pretty name for a pretty horse,” Charles agreed. “It suits her Arthur. And it’s a much better name than Bear,” he laughed.

“Yeah, yeah…” Arthur chuckled.

They finished preparing the horses and right as they are about to leave someone called out to them.

“Hey Arthur wait!”

They looked to see Karen quickly walking towards them with something in her hand.

“I’ve been meaning to give you this letter for days,” she said exasperated. She handed the envelope over to him, “Sorry I didn’t get it to you sooner but I picked it up from Valentine the day we had to pack up and run out of there so I nearly forgot about it after all that chaos.”

Arthur nodded in appreciation, “No problem. Thanks Karen.”

She gave a “yup” then looked between the two men, giving them a sly look and a quick wink then walking off.

Arthur coughed awkwardly at her flirty display then looked down at the envelope. He was surprised to see it was from none other than Jamie Gillis.

“Huh,” was all he could muster out.

“What is it?” Charles asked when he saw Arthur’s confused face.

“It’s a letter from Jamie, Mary’s brother. The one I had to rescue from that crazy cult a few weeks back.” He had eventually told Charles the whole story regarding that fiasco. It was too crazy not to tell anyone about.

“You need to take care of that then?” Charles asked.

Arthur looked to the envelope then to Charles who was already seated atop of Taima, then back to envelope. No. He was done putting his life on hold every time the Gillis family demanded his attention.

“Nah.”

He shoved the letter inside his jacket. “I’m sure Mary probably forced the kid to write me a ‘thank you’ letter for stopping him from blowing his own brains out. I’ll read it later.”

He quickly mounted Luna and motioned for Charles for them to get a move on.

“Alright,” Charles conceded and they were off.

On the way to the plains Charles told Arthur stories about his mother’s tribe and the significance of bison to their livelihood. It was interesting to Arthur to hear more about where Charles comes from and the culture of his people. The man doesn’t open up much about his past so he appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the man he cares so deeply for.

Arthur couldn’t help but smile at the out of character giddiness Charles displayed when they found a herd of bison grazing.

“Over there, you see them all? Incredible, aren’t they?” Charles said excitedly.

Arthur saw them but in that moment he much preferred the view of the man next to him. Charles’ eyes shone with childlike excitement and adoration. His smile was full and genuine and his posture was the most relaxed Arthur had ever seen. His hair flowed down his back and shone in the sun. He was wearing his polka dotted blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show is sculpted forearms. Arthur was awestruck. Charles was absolutely breathtaking. He tried to take in every detail so that he could hopefully sketch it into his journal later.

He continued staring until he noticed Charles was staring back with a weird look.

“What?” he asked confused.

Arthur snapped out of his trance then gave him a goofy lopsided grin, “Just enjoyin’ the view is all.”

Charles gave a “tch” but didn’t lose the smile on his face.

“C’mon cowboy lets get to it. I’ll ring them in and you try and bring one down. Just one though. Clean as you can.”

“Okay,” Arthur responded and watched Charles ride towards the herd.

In the end he was able to take one down with one shot. He was pretty happy with himself to be honest and the proud look on Charles’ face gave him butterflies.

Charles showed him how to skin it and take nearly every part of the bison. He described how each part could be used for food, tools, shelter, clothing, all sorts of things. Arthur understood why the native's livelihood revolved around the great beasts.

When they finished removing and stowing every usable part of the bison, Charles sauntered up to Arthur pulling him close by the waist with one arm. Arthur gripped onto the arm holding him, feeling the smooth skin under his palm.

“Good job,” Charles praised while looking him in the eyes, then he leaned forward to plant a kiss on Arthur’s lips. Arthur eagerly returned the gesture, lifting his other hand to cradle the back of Charles’ neck, feeling the sun warmed locks beneath his fingers.

They moved apart before any wandering eyes could possibly see the scandalous gesture.

“Alright let’s mount up. I want to check something out real quick,” Charles said.

Arthur nodded and followed his lead, mounting Luna and falling behind Charles.

“Where we going?” he asked.

“I thought I saw some scavenger birds over there…just wanted to see what attracted them.”

Arthur was not prepared for the devastated hitch in Charles’ voice when they discovered the birds were feasting on bison corpses. Bison that were shot and left to rot.

“Why would someone _do_ that?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know,” Charles responded sadly, “but I see tracks heading in this direction. I say we follow them.”

“Alright,” Arthur agreed.

The tracks led them to even more dead bison which then led them to a freshly abandoned camp. From there they could see smoke in the distance so they decided to follow it.

Arthur could see Charles’ sadness melting away into anger the closer they got to the smoke. A far cry from how he was when they first started this hunting trip.

They reached the camp and could see two men sitting around the fire. Charles was off Taima and stalking towards them before Arthur even halted Luna. He quickly dismounted and followed behind.

“Did you fools shoot those bison?” Charles asked lowly.

The strangers glared at him. “What’s your problem?” one of them sneered.

“I said…” his voice dropped into an even more dangerous tone.

“Did you _fools_ shoot those bison?” Charles nearly yelled. Though to Arthur he might as well have been yelling. Charles rarely raised his voice like that.

One of the men stood with a threatening look on his face. “Calm down you black or red bastard, whatever the fuck you are.”

“Hey!” Arthur barked at him and went to move forward but Charles put his arm out stopping him.

“Did you shoot them?!” he screamed, startling Arthur a bit with the outburst. He has definitely never heard Charles yell like _that_.

The other man finally stood as well. “Yeah we did. We shot them bison and we’ll shoot you too, if you don’t get.”

The other man piped up as well, “What business is it of yours what we-”

And before Arthur could even comprehend what happened Charles had grabbed his gun from his hip and blown one of the bastards straight to hell.

“It’s that business of mine!” he screamed at the other man who was now cowering in fear.

“Please don’t shoot! I got a family!”

Arthur finally recovered from the shock of Charles point blank killing someone and figured it was time for action.

“Stand back Charles, I’ll get some answers.” And to Arthur’s surprise Charles let him stomp over to the frightened man, pushing him further to the ground and wrapping his hand around the man’s throat. He threw a hard punch to his left cheek.

“Why are you killing those bison and leaving them to rot?!” he growled. 

The man refused to answer so Arthur threw in a few more hits. He took a quick glance back at Charles who watched with cold, angry eyes.

Arthur felt the rage build even further. Who did these monsters think they were? Killing these animals for no reason. Animals that meant so much to Charles…to his people. He turned back to the man nearly snarling. Hitting him once more before shouting, “Goddamn it, tell us or your dead!”

“Okay!” the man relented. “We were paid to kill as many as we could. Make it look like it was Indians.”

“Just kill him Arthur!” Charles shouted.

Arthur contemplated wrapping his other hand around the man’s throat to squeeze the life out of him. But as he stood there with the man under him begging for his life he remembered something.

 _I_ _’m not gonna shoot for the sake of it Arthur,_ Charles' voice rang in his head from when they were looking through that ransacked camp with the German family. This man...he was no threat to them. A piece of shit asshole but not a threat. Did he actually _need_ to die? Maybe if Charles was in his right mind he'd say 'no, killing a man who ain't trying to kill you back was wrong'.

With that confusing thought, Arthur reluctantly let him go. 

“Get out of here then!” 

The man whimpered a bit more before finally getting his senses back and fleeing from the two outlaws as quick as possible.

“Why did you do that?!”

Arthur turned around to face a fuming Charles. He knew he had every right to be angry at the poachers but his anger was clouding his judgement.

“H-he didn’t need to die Charles. Maybe he’ll go tell his friends now what happens to poachers.” He tried to speak with a calm voice to hopefully help Charles come through his emotional turmoil and see reason. But it didn’t seem to work.

“You shouldn’t have let him go Arthur! A man like that…he doesn’t deserve to live after what he did.”

Arthur didn’t know what to do. Charles was clearly not going to let this go any time soon. He struggled with a response.

“Look Charles, I-”

But he was having none of it.

“No! I’ve seen enough this.” And he started to trek over to Taima.

Arthur’s heart beat a little faster when he realized Charles was leaving him. “Wait…Charles!”

But he was already mounted and kicking Taima forward.

“No Arthur, I-” he paused seemingly having a short moment of clarity, and Arthur hoped it would last but he was wrong.

“I need to go. To be alone. I’ll be back at camp tomorrow,” he said shortly. 

“What? Tomorrow?” Arthur asked but Charles was already galloping away. Arthur yelled his name one last time knowing it was no use.

“Shit,” he muttered to the silent rolling hills. He hated the thought of Charles being alone with all that fury coursing through him. But he clearly didn’t want Arthur anywhere near him.

At that thought a guilty feeling started to creep its way through him. Maybe he _should_ have killed that man. Maybe now Charles thinks Arthur doesn’t respect his culture or his willingness to stand by his side.

“Shit,” he repeated. Yet again he fucked up and made the wrong decision, disappointing Charles once more. Just like with the German family...

But, this felt different. Letting that man go felt like the right thing to do. But who was he to know what the difference between right and wrong was anymore? He wished it came to him naturally but often he found himself confused by it all.

To him, Charles always knows the difference. And he doesn’t even have to try to be good. Not the way Arthur does. That’s why this whole situation left him feeling funny. Charles was never one to just kill a defenseless man, even if he was an asshole…but he did today, and he wanted Arthur to do the same. Contrary to his previous attitude towards killing. The whole thing left him reeling, and he struggled trying to work out what he should do next.

He knows Charles wants to be left alone but the thought of letting him deal with this by himself left a sick feeling in Arthur. He couldn’t ignore that gnawing urge to go after him.

So, he turned around and decided to ransack the poachers camp before heading off to find Charles. He would grant Charles his wish to be alone, for at least a few hours. Hopefully by then he won’t push Arthur away again.

*************

He finished looting the camp and decided to write in his journal to help get his head straight before looking for Charles. And to give the man a bit more time to settle down.

His tracks were easy enough to follow considering how fresh they were, and by the time the sun had almost set Arthur could see the rising smoke of a camp hidden among the trees. Definitely had to be Charles.

The sun had fully set and enveloped the world in darkness by the time Arthur reached the outskirts of the small camp. He debated on whether he should try to approach quietly so as to not startle Charles, or be as noisy as possible so Charles doesn’t think someone his trying to sneak up on him. Knowing Charles’ ability to sense suspicious movements in his surroundings he chose the noisy route.

As soon as his boot fell upon a crunchy pile of leaves and sticks an angry, “Who’s there?!” was called out.

“Its me Charles!” Arthur yelled as he stepped into the clearing only to see him standing in the glow of the campfire, gun aimed right at his chest.

Charles immediately dropped his arm and holstered his gun, but to Arthur’s disappointment he did not look happy to see him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked calmly but Arthur could see a storm brewing in his eyes.

“I just…wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Charles gave an almost undetectable scoff and crossed his arms, “You know I can take care of myself out here. You should have just gone back to camp. I told you I would be back tomorrow.”

Arthur’s stomach dropped as he felt rejected once more. Charles was pushing him away and he didn’t know how to fix it. 

“Well I-I’m already here and its too late to go back to camp so…” he was at a loss of what to say or do next. Anything to not make Charles angrier at him.

Charles gave a sigh and dropped his arms, “I wouldn’t send you away Arthur.” He nodded towards Luna, “Go on and get your bedroll.”

Arthur happily obliged and walked over to Luna, unstrapping his bedroll. The bison pelt was still tied to her back, a reminder of how well the day had been up until the poacher incident. Charles was the happiest and angriest Arthur had ever seen him all in one day.

He finished unstrapping his bedroll then went to unpack his tent only to realize it was gone.

_Shit._

He remembered he had torn a hole in it the last time he was camping and Tilly had kindly offered to patch it for him. He wasn’t planning on sleeping outside of camp anytime soon so he hadn’t even thought about it in his rush to get ready for the bison hunt. 

Charles seemed to notice his hesitation, “What?”

“Ah I forgot my damn tent. But its fine, there’s no rain on the horizon and its not like I haven’t slept under stars before.”

Charles gave him a look he couldn’t quite distinguish then walked over to him, gently grabbing the bedroll from his hands, “We can share mine.” Then he walked to his tent and started unrolling it next to his, dismissing Arthur’s weak protest that he didn’t have to do that.

He finished setting up the bedroll then stood up, back facing Arthur, almost hesitating to turn around knowing he would have to face him.

Finally, he turned and asked Arthur one simple word, “Hungry?”

Arthur responded with an equally short answer, “Sure.”

He watched as Charles picked up a nearby rabbit carcass, cutting meat from it and placing it over the fire. He then lowered himself to the ground to sit against a fallen log in front of the flames. His gaze lingered on the fire for a moment before looking up at Arthur who hadn’t moved from his spot where Charles took the bedroll out of his hands.

“You can sit you know.”

Arthur suddenly felt like a fool. He came here to see if Charles was okay and to apologize and here was having to be told what to do because he could hardly form a single coherent thought.

He made a small grunt of acknowledgment before walking over and taking a seat by the fire. He didn’t sit too close to Charles though, seeing as the man still had some resentment towards him.

They sat in silence for a few minutes and just as Arthur opened his mouth to say something, Charles beat him to it.

“Food is done,” he announced simply then removed the meat from the flames and handed it to Arthur.

He accepted it with a quiet, “Thanks.” Then he noticed Charles wasn’t taking any for himself.

“Don’t you want any?” Arthur asked.

“Already ate,” he responded. Arthur didn’t press him any further.

It was only a few seconds later Charles stood up and started walking away.

“Fire is getting weak, gonna get some more wood.” And he was out of sight before Arthur could even respond.

He solemnly chewed his food while staring blankly at the flames in front of him.

It was time to man-up he decided. As soon as Charles was back he would apologize and see if there was anything he could do to make him forgive him.

He finished eating and waited for Charles to reappear. As soon as he heard his footsteps approaching, he shot up from the ground.

Charles walked up carrying a bundle of twigs and branches, stopping and giving a confused look when he saw Arthur standing up looking at him.

He gave a heavy sigh and stepped up to Charles.

“Look Charles, I just wanted to say how sorry I am about the bison, and that…I let that man go. You were right, he didn’t deserve to live after what he did. I should'a choked the life out of him.”

Charles looked at him in disbelief but it quickly turned into what Arthur can only describe as repulsion.

He let out a curse and aggressively threw down the wood to his right, turning away from Arthur with his fists clenched at his side.

Arthur flinched at the sound of wood hitting the ground and stepped back from Charles who he suspected was 2 seconds away from punching him. Now he was really at a loss of what to do.

“I-do you...want me to go?” he asked hesitantly.

Charles gave no response but Arthur could see by the movement of his shoulders he was breathing fast and heavy. Clearly upset.

“Charles?”

When he still received no answer, he walked around to his front. What he saw shattered his heart. While Charles’ face looked relatively calm, he knew something was undeniably wrong when he saw tears streaming from his scrunched up eyes. He was _crying_?!

“Shit Charles!”

Before he could stop himself, Arthur had Charles’ head cradled in his hands, furiously wiping his tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

“God Charles, I-I’m so sorry.”

Charles finally opened his eyes which bore into Arthur’s skull. He still looked so calm but fresh tears continued falling down his cheeks.

“Arthur, please stop.” Even his voice remained steady through the tears.

“What?” Arthur responded in confusion.

“Please,” Charles begged, then raised his hands to grip the ones holding his face, “Please stop apologizing.”

“But I…thought you were mad at me?”

His face crumpled at Arthur’s words and he moved forward to press his head into the crook of Arthur’s neck, wrapping his arms around his waist. Arthur hesitantly moved his arms around Charles’ shoulders and tightened the embrace. Charles took a deep breath in and turned his head towards Arthur.

“I’m not mad at _you_ Arthur, I-I’m mad at myself.”

“I- huh?” Arthur gripped Charles’ shoulders and pushed him away just enough to look at his face.

Charles met his stare head on, “You did the right thing letting that man go.”

“I…did?”

“Yes. You did. I’m glad you didn’t kill him. I shouldn’t have killed the other man. Not like that…”

“But I thought you said-” Charles shook his head before he could finish.

“I was wrong. I let my anger cloud my judgement. And…I’m sorry I ran away from you, made you think you did something wrong. I just didn’t want you to see me like that, to see me lose control. I can usually handle my emotions, but sometimes…that rage just takes over and it…scares me. It scares me how easily it consumes me. But what scared me more today was the fact that in my rage I pushed _you_ to kill a defenseless man. To…join in on my rampage. That-I can’t…I can't forgive myself for ever forcing you to do something against your will.”

He sighed and laid his head down against Arthur again.

“I am so sorry Arthur.”

Arthur held him tight again and ran his fingers through his hair. “Ain’t no reason to be sorry Charles. You had a natural reaction, and god knows I let my emotions get the better of me more often than not. I knew it wasn’t what you really wanted, that’s why I didn’t do it. No matter how angry you get, I know you would never force me to do something I didn’t want to do, and I would never do the same to you.”

Charles just continued breathing softly in Arthur’s arms, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

“I hate that this fury is a part of me. That no matter what I do it will always be there, lurking under the surface. Waiting to break through and make me do things I’m going to regret.”

Arthur nodded his head in understanding. Because truly, he did understand. He knows exactly what Charles is describing because he feels it too. Being afraid of your own deadly potential, the uncontrollable flare of your inner demon.

“I know what you mean, I-I feel it too. And you’re right…it is a part of you and mine is a part of me. We may never get rid of it, but…well we can accept it for what it is and not punish ourselves for something we can’t change. Learn to live with it, to control it.”

He took a second to let his words sink in before continuing.

“And you know what? Maybe this is the first time ever for both of us where we don’t have to hide our true selves from someone. When it’s you and me, we can just be…us. No pressure to change or pretend to be what we’re not, because...we like each other fine just the way we are. I wouldn't change one damn thing about you, fury and all.

"And from now on, if one of us loses control we can pull each other from the darkness and back into the light. No running away, no judgment, and no fear of ourselves or each other. What do you think?” he asked, nudging Charles’ head with his own.

Charles lifted his head to look at him, “I like that,” he responded with a light smile.

“Good,” Arthur returned the smile, and pressed his lips to his forehead.

After a few seconds Charles gave a light chuckle, “Since when did you get so wise huh?”

“Pff, believe it or not I don’t _always_ drown out Hosea’s gibberish.”

That got a normal laugh out of Charles, and Arthur’s heart felt 10 times lighter seeing him happy again.

“C’mon let’s sit by the fire for a while,” Arthur jerked his head towards the flames.

“Sounds good.”

The two men sat down side by side, leaning against the fallen log and settling into a comfortable silence. Eventually Arthur pulled out his journal and Charles started whittling away at a piece of wood. The sound of Arthur’s pencil scribbling away on paper sounded as natural to Charles as the dawn chorus of a songbird. Likewise, Arthur found the soft _shink_ of Charles’ knife sliding across the small piece of wood to be a welcome melody among the crackling fire and chirping insects. The cumulative sounds were like a symphony of serenity and contentment, so unlike the booming echos of gunfire and panicked shouting that surround them all too often.

Arthur was finishing up his sketch when he looked over at Charles’ little project. “So, what are you making?”

Charles smiled and held up the barely formed figure to the fire light. “Guess.”

Arthur smiled at the challenge and squinted at the small piece of wood. It was definitely the shape of a four-legged animal but obviously wasn’t even close to being finished.

“Uh…is it…a bear?” He gave his best guess.

Charles chuckled at the attempt. “Nope, it’s a bison. Or at least will be.”

“Shoulda known,” Arthur shook his head at himself.

“What about you? You been working on a sketch?”

“Oh, uh…” Arthur started getting flustered. He wasn’t used to sharing his drawings with others.

“You don’t have to show me if you don’t want,” Charles reassured. “I know you don’t really like to show them.”

“No, it’s not that,” Arthur stumbled, “it’s just that I uh…well I…oh what the hell…,” he relented and scooted up to Charles with the notebook.

“Here,” he grumbled a little as he showed Charles the page.

Charles’ breath hitched when he saw the perfectly sketched out image of himself atop of Taima, looking into the distance with a full smile and wistful eyes.

“Oh Arthur…” he was at a loss for words.

“I just…thought you looked real happy this morning when you were staring out at that herd of bison. Happiest I ever seen you actually, and well…seeing you happy made me real happy. I wanted to remember it.”

Charles ran his fingers along the notebook edge as he soaked in Arthur’s words. After a few moments he gently took the notebook from his hands, closed it, and set it aside.

Before Arthur knew it, Charles’ lips crashed into his with desperate hands clutching at his jacket. He moaned in shock then quickly recovered and pushed into the kiss with just as much enthusiasm, pulling a satisfied whine from the other man. Without even thinking he flung his body over so he was straddling Charles’ lap, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Their lips never leaving each other in the process.

Once in his lap, he felt Charles’ hands run along the sides of his body under his Jacket. Arthur quickly shucked it off and threw it haphazardly into the opening of the tent a few feet away. Once the outer layer was gone Charles moved his hands down to his hips where he started to pull Arthur’s shirt out from his pants.

Once he was properly untucked, Charles ran his arms under his shirt, caressing the skin under his palms. Arthur broke from the kiss to revel in the feeling of those strong arms wrapped around his bare skin.

“Shit…” he moaned and rolled his head back in pleasure. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched him this way.

Charles took that as an opportunity to start sucking and biting at Arthur’s neck which caused him to moan and curse again.

“If you ever want me stop just tell me,” Charles whispered before continuing his endeavor.

“Don’t. Stop…” Arthur pleaded between huffs and sifted his fingers through Charles’ hair, almost massaging his scalp in rhythm of Charles’ kisses.

Charles’ hands continued exploring Arthur’s body under his shirt, eventually getting fed up with the restriction and moving his hands out from under it. He wrapped his arms around Arthur and sat up a little only to gently lay Arthur down on the ground, pushing his shirt up to expose his midsection and chest and attacking his mouth with his own once more.

Arthur still had his hands fisted in Charles’ hair and he could feel his strong yet gentle hands raking along his exposed midsection. He gasped when he suddenly felt Charles pinch his left nipple, rolling it between his thumb and index finger. No one had ever done _that_ to him before.

He broke their kiss with a noisy groan. “Jesus Charles…I-I’m not a woman ya know,” he said breathlessly.

He felt Charles’ soft chuckle more than he heard it. “Yeah I know…but it feels good right?” And just to prove his point he continued tweaking his nipple while his other hand massaged his right pec.

Arthur’s breathing quickened at the sensitive touches, his cock now straining painfully against his pants. He wanted more. He _needed_ more.

He drifted his hands down to the front of Charles’ shirt fiddling with the three buttons at the top. Before he could get them all undone however, Charles grabbed his wrist, “Wait…”

Arthur let out a whine of frustration which made Charles chuckle.

“Tent,” was all he said and Arthur groaned.

“How do you expect me to get there after what you done to me?”

Charles lifted himself off Arthur, taking in his disheveled state. Shirt scrunched up to his armpits, hat now missing, red marks littered along his neck, the obvious bulge under his pants...A beautiful mess of a man.

“Want me to carry you?” he asked jokingly. Arthur just hummed with mock annoyance before slowly pushing himself up.

Once he was standing Charles nudged him in the direction of the tent. “Go on, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Arthur didn’t argue and walked over to the tent, tugging his boots off before throwing himself on top the bedrolls, shoving his previously thrown jacket out of the way. Charles returned not a moment later, also removing his boots before joining Arthur. He closed the tent flap behind him, the soft glow of the fire illuminating their tiny sanctuary just enough to see each other.

The tent was a tight squeeze considering it was meant to comfortably fit one person, but they made it work.

“Where were we?” Arthur asked as he reached up again to undo the buttons on Charles’ shirt. Charles smirked and did the same with Arthur’s. Once Arthur had all the buttons undone on Charles, he went to lift the shirt over the man’s head, noticing his gun belt was now missing. Charles helped him out some and when the shirt was completely off Arthur marveled at the body in front of him.

“Are you even real?” Arthur wondered out loud while running his hands down his sculpted abdomen, tracing the few scars littered on his body. Charles hummed in amusement at Arthur’s words, pushing his shirt open after finally getting through all the buttons.

He grabbed one of Arthur’s hands that was caressing his body and held it up to his mouth, planting a gentle kiss to his palm. Arthur’s eyes met his and he blushed at the tender display.

“Charles I-I…maybe we should just um…it’s just that it’s been a while and…”

Charles cut off his babbling with another kiss to his hand and caress to his cheek. “We’ll take it easy tonight okay?”

Arthur nodded and visibly relaxed. He felt foolish for being so scared but he hadn’t been this intimate with anyone since well…Mary, and that’s an entirely different experience. With her he never felt this vulnerable...or this taken care of.

Charles brought his attention back to the present when he tugged his shirt completely off and started sliding his hand down from Arthur’s face until he reached the hem of his pants. He looked up to Arthur who gave a short nod of confirmation. Charles undid his pants and gently pulled out his throbbing erection, already leaking with precum.

He started giving slow strokes which made Arthur close his eyes and moan. Charles watched in awe as Arthur’s face morphed into one of pure pleasure. He leaned forward to capture the moans in his mouth as he continued stroking him.

While Arthur relished Charles’ touches it wasn’t enough. He had to have more of him. He began slipping his hand down until he found the bulge under Charles’ pants. He began eagerly groping him until Charles cut off their kissing with a sharp intake of breath, burying his head in Arthur’s shoulder.

“C’mon, get these off,” Arthur breathed while tugging on Charles' pants.

“You first,” Charles smirked and leaned back to start pulling Arthur’s pants down. Arthur had no choice but to maneuver his body such that Charles could pull them completely off. Once that was done, Charles moved off of Arthur so he could remove his own pair of pants, Arthur watching hungrily the entire time.

Once he was fully naked Arthur took in the enticing sight. Likewise, Charles was combing his eyes across Arthur’s naked body, beautifully laid out in front him. Their eyes met after taking in the view of each other and they exchanged beaming smiles. Arthur spread his legs and leaned forward to grab hold of Charles’ forearm leading him closer until Charles was kneeling between his legs.

“Hold on,” Charles said as he reached over to grab something. Arthur noticed it was gun oil. He opened it up and started slathering it on one of his hands.

“When the hell did you get th-” Arthur cut himself off when he remembered Charles didn’t come into the tent with him straight away.

“Why, you just think of everything don’t you Mr. Smi-ah!”

He was cut off when a slicked hand gabbed hold of his manhood and stated pumping.

“Sure do,” Charles responded to his unfinished sentence.

Arthur threw his head back in pleasure as Charles continued stroking him. He tried reaching down to return the favor but Charles pushed his hand away with a chuckle.

“Just relax cowboy,” he purred and used his free hand to rub up and down Arthur's thigh.

“C’mon Charles,” Arthur panted, “y-you too.”

Charles obliged after torturing him for a few moments more and soon Arthur could feel Charles’ cock against his, both slicked up and gliding in his hand.

“Shit…” Arthur moaned and started lightly pumping into his strokes. Charles did the same, creating an invigorating friction that left both men whining in pleasure.

As that familiar feeling of release approached Arthur, he reached out to grasp Charles’ thick bicep while pulling Charles down for a passionate kiss. His breath quickened and became uneven, signaling to Charles his orgasm was fast approaching. Charles knew he wasn’t far behind. 

He broke the kiss with a pleasurable hum, shifting his free hand to hold Arthur’s face which was contorted in pleasure. “C’mon Arthur,” he encouraged, “just let go.”

That was all Arthur needed to cum hard in Charles’ hand, clenching his fist around the bulging bicep under his fingers and pressing his head into the hand caressing his face, choking out a broken, “Fuck Charles...” as his body spasmed through the orgasm.

Not a moment later Charles followed suit, curling his body around Arthur’s as he let out a guttural moan.

As his breathing slowed he fully collapsed on top of Arthur who let out a small ‘umph’ but quickly wrapped his arms around Charles to hold him in place, relishing in the contact.

The two continued catching their breath while Arthur lovingly ran his hands up and down Charles’ back, soaking up the feeling of their bare skin pressed together. 

Charles eventually decided he was probably suffocating his poor lover and propped himself up, giving Arthur a quick peck on his cheekbone before rolling off him.

“Damn. That was…” Arthur trailed off and Charles responded with an affirmative hum. They continued laying side by side basking in the afterglow. It was when Charles heard Arthur start to lightly snore that nudged him back into reality.

“Wha-?” he asked half asleep.

“We should clean ourselves up before we fall asleep.”

Arthur moaned unhappily. “You expect me to move right now?”

“Yes,” Charles said humorously. “Look at yourself. We both need some washing. There’s a small creek nearby and it’s a warm night, won’t hurt to make a quick visit.”

Arthur didn’t need to look down to see the mess he felt on his belly that Charles was referring to. He gave a dramatic sigh, “Alright, guess we should.”

They sluggishly made their way out of the tent, luckily with their pants back on, and headed to the small creek. After spending a few minutes washing up, and partaking in a childish splash fight that they swore the other started, they were comfortably back in their tent.

Charles was laid out on his back with Arthur pressed close to him, arm draped over his chest and head resting on his shoulder. He was already close to snoozing once more. Charles was exhausted too but he fought sleep if only to enjoy the feeling of holding a drowsy Arthur Morgan to him, caressing him while his body grew more and more placid and his breath evened out.

“Arthur?” he whispered. He was answered with a tired “hmm?”

“Thanks for showing me your drawing.”

He felt a small huff of laughter leave Arthur, “Well remin’ me t'show ya more, if this is wha' it leads to.”

Charles smiled at his slumbersome response before finally relaxing his tired body and letting sleep take him.

**************

Arthur woke when the bright morning sun lit up their tent. He couldn’t quite remember why he was out camping and not back in camp on his cot, until he felt a heavy weight on his midsection and a warm body pressed against his back. Then the memories of the previous day flooded back to him. He twisted his body around so that he was now facing other man, confirming the previous night wasn’t some crazy dream.

Charles’ hold on him tightened when he felt Arthur roll to face him, evidence he was slowly waking up too.

“Good morning,” he mumbled into Arthur’s hair.

“Mornin,” he mumbled back and nuzzled into him even more.

“Guess we should head back to camp soon,” Charles said while running his fingers through Arthur’s hair.

“Reckon’ we just stay out here for a few weeks…or months…or years…”

Charles hummed in agreement but started to pull his arms back to himself. “C’mon now, we still have that bison meat. It’s going to go bad if we don’t get it to Pearson.”

“Alright, alright,” he relented. He rolled away from Charles only to feel light crunching under his back.

“The hell…?” He reached over and felt the familiar fabric of his jacket that he haphazardly threw around the tent the night before. Once he had it untucked from his body, he opened it up finding the still enclosed letter from Jamie in his pocket. Now bent and wrinkled to hell. “Oh yeah…”

“Better read that before you totally destroy it,” Charles piped up. Arthur made a noise of agreement before tearing into the envelope.

“I’ll go get some coffee started.” He quickly threw on his shirt and made his way out of the tent to give Arthur some privacy.

Arthur pulled the letter out of the envelope, gave a yawn and a groan before fully laying back down to read the letter leisurely. He squinted his still tired eyes up at the words:

_Dear Arthur,_

_I am truly sorry to have to do this to you, but I am afraid we are in desperate need of your help once more. In fact, we need your help now more than ever._

“God dammit,” he hissed. This family just would not stop…

_Mary has fallen gravelly ill._

He immediately furrowed his brows at that. Surely, Jamie’s exaggerating…

_The doctor has discovered it is stomach cancer. She underwent surgery today but the spread of the disease is too great for any chance of recovery. She is going to die, very soon I'm afraid._

He re-read that sentence over and over and over until his heart was nearly beating out of his chest and…and…when did he start breathing so fast?

He quickly sat up as his body filled with panic. It was the same feeling he got when he was being shot at or facing down wild predators, but…instead he was just sitting in a tent, not in any danger whatsoever.

Still…this was different. This was…he had no way to handle this adrenaline, no way to utilize it, to burn it off.

He ran a shaky hand down his face harshly, moving his limbs this way and that, his body not knowing how to handle the feeling of utter peril without having to physically fight back.

He finally lifted the letter up again, unconsciously rocking a little as his body screamed at him to do _something_ about the adrenaline pumping through him. Before continuing on, he noticed as he inspected the letter more carefully, small water stains…

Tears. Jamie had been crying when he wrote this…

_The pain I feel having to accept this fact has left me breathless, shattered, and hollow. Some moments I think this is nothing but a nightmare and that I may wake any moment and see that Mary is happy and healthy once more. But now I know that this nightmare is very real and terrifyingly inescapable._

_I know that you have been treated unkindly by our family, but please know her love for you runs deeper than you could ever know, and like you she has made many sacrifices to protect those which she loves. I hope that you do not think this is some sort of cruel ploy to get you involved with our messy family affairs once more. Our father’s mind is as good as lost and he refuses to accept Mary’s fate. I fear he is scheming to do something truly evil and I am afraid I will not be able to stop him without help._

_Please know that this letter was sent entirely with my own intentions and that Mary is unaware I am writing you. The truth is Arthur, Mary is afraid to see you again because she has kept a terrible secret from you since the day you two fell apart. In learning the truth, I believe you may be able to stop our father’s wicked intentions and provide Mary with the closure she needs before she joins our mother in Heaven._

_I wish I could tell you more but I would not deny Mary the chance to explain herself to you in person. I beg that you please find it in your heart to try and see Mary before it is too late. Her health declines more and more with each passing day and I fear she has little time left._

_I will anxiously await your arrival. You may find me by the fountain in the Saint Denis park. I will wait there everyday for one hour after dawn and one hour after dusk. Please find it in your heart to come to our aid one last time._

_Sincerely,_

_Jamie_

Arthur finished the letter with the feeling of dread still coursing through his body, his breathing still fast and heavy. He didn’t know what to do. His eyes stayed glued to the page as his mind failed to move his body. He needed…he needed…

“Charles…” he tried to call out but it was nothing more than a shattered whisper.

“Charles…” he tried again but it was still too quiet, his voice cracking with the extra effort.

“Charles!” He finally yelled.

After a moment he heard a calm, “Yeah?” just outside the tent.

Once Arthur knew he had the man’s attention his mind shut down again, waiting for the help he knew was coming.

At Arthur’s silence Charles walked to the tent, holding the flap open and looking at Arthur.

“What is it Arthur?”

He looked up at his savior and he finally snapped. Clutching the letter in his hand he shot out of the tent past Charles, now pacing in short agitated steps around the camp, “I don’t…it’s…I’m…” he spoke quickly, thoughts racing through in his head.

“Arthur calm down! What is it?” Charles tried to sooth his worried partner, knowing something was really wrong in that letter if this was how he was reacting.

“I don’t know what to do, I…I need help. Tell me what to do,” Arthur begged as he shoved the letter at Charles, hoping it would somehow miraculously fix the issue.

Charles fumbled with it for a second while Arthur continued his panicked pacing. Finally, getting it up right in his hands, he scanned it over as quickly as possible. Making no reaction until he read the entirety of it.

Arthur watched carefully and as soon as he knew he was done reading he asked again, “What do I _do_?”

Charles immediately starting moving around the camp, briskly walking to the tent to grab Arthur’s shirt and jacket, pushing them into Arthur's arms.

“Get dressed,” he said hurriedly then continued moving about the camp.

“But…I…” Arthur was still so lost. He quickly pulled his shirt and jacket on, watching as Charles picked up his forgotten journal from the night before and packed it in his satchel.

“Charles…what?” was all Arthur could get out as the other man walked towards him satchel in one hand and his hat in the other.

“You gotta go Arthur. You gotta go, and see her before it’s too late,” he answered as he slung his satchel onto him and pressed his hat on his head. He quickly moved on to the horses, Arthur following behind in a daze.

“But what if its too late already Charles? What if she’s already…I mean how long has it been since he sent that letter, and Karen had it for a week before giving it to me…” he trailed off.

A grunt from Charles brought him back to attention. He had untied the bison pelt from Luna and was moving it onto Taima.

“It might not be too late though Arthur. If you ride hard you can make it to Saint Denis by the end of today.” He moved past Arthur again, this time towards the tent to collect Arthur’s bedroll, quickly rolling it up as he walked back to the horses.

Arthur was still stunned by everything. And the fact that Charles snapped into action immediately, left his head spinning.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he said as Charles finished strapping his bedroll to Luna, “Can we just talk about this for a second? I-I don’t know what to make of all this.”

Charles finished strapping down the bedroll, the last bit of packing he needed to do for Arthur before he was ready to go. But packing for him didn’t mean shit if the man himself was frozen to the ground on which he stood.

He walked over to him, grasping his arms and shaking him a little, until those bewitching blue-green eyes made contact with his. “Look Arthur, I know your history with her is…complicated. But this is your last chance to speak with her. And her, you. She still loves you, and I know you still care for her.” Arthur opened his mouth to argue but Charles continued before he could get any words out.

“Giving her that chance to see you one last time is the greatest gift you can give her. Giving her that chance to get closure from the past is a gift to both of you. You have the opportunity to make her last moments _count_ for something.”

Arthur listened to his words but still grimaced. “When I saw her in Valentine a few weeks back she…she was off you know? Pale and like she was gonna pass out at any second. I never would have thought it’d be…that it would come to this.”

Charles squeezed his arms in comfort.

“And Jamie...when I was givin’ him a ride back to town, he was acting funny too. Like I was supposed to know something that I don’t.”

He took a deep breath in and out, finally getting his nerves back under control.

“Whatever this secret is that he mentioned in the letter…I just want you to know that it won’t change anything between us.” Charles’ eyes softened at that.

“I mean it Charles,” he continued. “The past stays in the past, where it belongs.”

Charles gave him a soft nod and an “okay” before taking him into his arms.

Arthur melted into his embrace.

“Go on now, quickly.” Charles broke the hug and nudged Arthur towards Luna.

Arthur moved forward, mounting his mare and readying himself for the long ride ahead. He gave one last glance to Charles, “I-Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he responded with a light smile, then gave a gentle slap to Luna’s rear, “Git!”

And Arthur was off, fading into the distance with each passing second. While Charles knew Arthur meant what he said when he spoke about Mary's secret not affecting their relationship, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more monumental than they thought. And that despite Arthur’s promise, everything was about to change…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it folks!
> 
> So I know most of the time Charles is written as a pretty emotionless character considering he comes off that way in the game quite a bit...but I truly believe he is a very emotional person and he knows this so he overcompensates by pretending to be unemotional because he doesn't want to burden other people with his feelings and/or draw attention to himself. Which is why I wanted to explore the bison mission more because it was such a raw emotional moment for him and I always wondered what he did right after that mission, considering he left pretty damn pissed off. 
> 
> And as for the smut...I didn't want to write them as like blushing virgins who were unused to sex, because they're both grown men in their 30's. They know what's up lol. Also Arthur has a thing for Charles' arms cause I mean...god damn who wouldn't.


	9. Goodbye, Hello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> Hope everyone is staying safe from the craziness of the world. I go back to work on Monday which means 2+ hours of commuting everyday again. Yippee. 
> 
> As I'm sure you guys are aware AO3 has been having issues with their email services. I know I have definitely been impacted because I had a yahoo email. I normally get at least one email day with an updated story and when I realized I hadn't gotten any in like 4 days I realized AO3 was up to some shit. Anyways I realize they have everything in order on their end but yahoo is being difficult. I myself had to make a new gmail account just to get my email updates again. *Sigh* Anyways I'm hoping everyone else with this issue has resolved it somehow. I hate to think there's still people out there that don't realize there is a problem and won't receive the new chapter notification. Alas, it is what it is. 
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter, it's a big one!

Sun rays beamed through Mary’s bedroom window as the day reached mid-morning. Jamie had returned a few hours prior from his newly adopted routine. Wake up before dawn. Check on Mary and Bea. Sneak downstairs. Walk to the park. Wait at the fountain for Arthur. Leave with a heavy heart when he didn’t show. Take care of Mary throughout the day. Then wait for Arthur at dusk. Leave with disappointment again. Repeat.

This had been his routine for nearly two weeks now. He was certain the letter should have reached Valentine by now. So why wasn’t Arthur here yet? He figured that no matter how much bad blood there was between him and Mary that he would still find it in him to see her one last time. But as the days dragged on, and Mary became more and more weak he wondered if Arthur really had reached his breaking point with them and would not be showing his face at all.

During those moment where he sat near the park fountain, eyes constantly searching the faces of the people coming and going, he wondered if maybe it was a mistake not mentioning Bea in his letter. Maybe if Arthur knew his daughter existed, he would have been here already. Put aside his anger for the sake of his daughter. Either that, or it could have drove him off even more. And that was a risk Jamie was not willing to take. Besides, he knew Bea was not his secret to reveal to the man.

He inevitably told Mary about the letter he sent to Arthur. Which went about as well as he had expected…

_*Flashback*_

_Mary had been sent home after her surgery. She had woken up at the doctor’s but her mind was too foggy to understand what was going on around her, so Jamie opted to wait until she was fully coherent before telling her what the doctor found. Before leaving, the doctor administered one more heavy dose of pain medication which put her into a deep sleep._

_Jamie had to break the news to Emily that Mary only had a short time left to live. He held her as she collapsed into a fit of sobs. Jamie couldn’t help but sob with her. He also told her about the letter to Arthur, and she reluctantly agreed it was a wise decision._

_He waited anxiously for Mary to fully awaken so they could discuss her diagnosis. Emily had taken it upon herself to speak with Bea, trying to let the little girl know how serious the situation was without scaring her._

_After a few more hours Mary blinked her eyes open and looked up at Jamie who was at her side, tightly grasping her hand in his own. She watched as he refused to meet her eyes with his own tear-filled ones. Struggling to find the right words to say. But his silence was enough. She knew she was dying._

_She cried. Not only for the loss of her own life but for the unknown future of her daughter. She would never get to see her grow up. And she would no longer be there to protect her, hold her, read to her, teach her... Jamie watched as Mary broke down after realizing she had no idea what would happen to Bea after she was gone._

_It was then he finally admitted to himself he made the right decision to contact Arthur. Hopefully Mary would realize it too..._

_“Mary, there’s something I need to tell you,” he said as he dried her tears with a cloth._

_“_ _Something…that I did,” he continued. “_ _You’re not going to like it…”_

_She sniffled some more but gave him a focused look and nodded at him to continue._

_“I um-” he cleared his throat, “I wrote to Arthur. And I asked him to come here.”_

_Mary started at him in shock, suddenly looking more alert than she had in days._

_“You WHAT?”_

_Jamie flinched at her angry tone. “I didn’t tell him about Bea or anything. Just that you were…that you…” he trailed off and gave a shaky sigh._

_“Jamie, how could you? After I already told you not to.”_

_“I know!” he said exasperated and got up to start pacing next to her bed._

_“But that was before we knew how bad this was. And I think he deserves to know the truth. What’s the point in hiding all this anymore huh? Father has gone insane and everything is changing now. You…you won’t be here to take care of her, Father stopped paying Emily so she can’t stay here, and I…I can’t do it Mary. I can’t take care of her on my own, I’m basically still a kid myself. A dumb kid…” he grumbled._

_“And she definitely can’t stay here with Father. He…” Jamie snapped his mouth shut, contemplating whether he should tell Mary about what their Father had been up to. If everything goes according to plan, it won’t be an issue to begin with._

_“I know…” Mary filled the silence with her defeated voice._

_“You’re right,” she sighed. “Arthur may not be an angel, but he’ll keep her safe. He’ll…love her. It’s gonna hurt him though Jamie. Knowing the truth. Knowing I lied to him all these years and kept his daughter from him.”_

_She was crying again. Jamie returned to her side, soothing her as best he could._

_“None of that matters anymore okay? All that matters is Bea will be taken care of, and you can finally be free of this burden of a secret. You can…move on without having to worry about what’s gonna happen to her. Arthur is a good man Mary. He’ll take care of her. And he’ll forgive you, I know it.”_

_Mary just nodded at his words while the tears continued to flow freely from her eyes._

_“He…will come right?” Jamie asked worryingly. “I made it pretty clear in my letter how serious the situation is. That he should come as soon as possible.”_

_“He’ll come,” Mary replied with no hesitation. When Jamie gave her a skeptical look she assured, “He will come Jamie.”_

_He nodded and whispered, “okay.”_

_“Can you bring Bea in please?” She asked after a few moments of silence. “You were right. The secrets and lies don’t matter anymore. She needs to know the truth.”_

_Jamie nodded and left._

_A few minutes later the door creaked open and Mary watched Bea enter the room with Emily and Jamie right behind her. Emily and Bea both had red, irritated eyes, evidence they were both recently crying. Bea was clutching her favorite doll, looking worried for the bed-stricken Mary._

_“Come here my honey Bea,” Mary beckoned softly with a weak hand._

_When the little girl stood frozen Emily gently nudged her forward until she reached the side of the bed._

_“Come up here,” Mary patted the empty space next to her._

_But Bea furiously shook her head no and took a step back. “I don’t want to hurt you Auntie Mary.”_

_Jamie saw the heartbroken look on Mary’s face and decided to step in._

_“Come here little bean.” He lifted his niece up and gently sat her on the bed next to Mary’s side. “You won’t hurt her. Just be careful not to touch her tummy okay?”_

_The little girl nodded and turned her attention towards Mary. “Emily says you’re real sick. Can’t the doctor make you better? Can’t you take medicine?” her tiny voice asked desperately._

_Mary grabbed her daughter’s small hands in hers, “I’m afraid not baby. I’m just too sick to get better."_

_Beatrice’s eyes immediately welled up. “But I don’t want you to go!” she wailed and broke into a hiccuping sob, pulling her hands from Mary’s so she could rub her eyes as she cried._

_Jamie took a seat behind her and Emily joined them on the other side of Mary, the three of them comforting the inconsolable child as best they could._

_“I’m so sorry baby girl, I don’t want to go either,” Mary was crying now too as she caressed her daughter’s face._

_“But hey, I need you to listen to me carefully right now okay? I-I have something very important to tell you.” She pulled the little girl’s hands from her face and waited until she looked her in the eyes and nodded._

_Mary gave her a reassuring smile, despite the dreadful feeling building inside her. “So…you know how we told you your mommy and daddy passed away when you were a baby right? That they were in heaven?”_

_Bea nodded her head._

_“Well…I-I’m afraid we weren’t being truthful to you. See, now…the truth is…” her voice cracked as she fought to get the words out. Emily laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, letting her know it was okay to take her time._

_She took a shaky breath in and out, “The truth is Bea, I’m your mama. Your real mama. The mommy and daddy we told you about aren't real.”_

_Beatrice looked utterly confused. “I…don’t understand.”_

_Mary let a few tears slip down her cheeks as she struggled to unpack her biggest secret after holding it in for so many years._

_“Well sweetheart, before you were born I met a man named Arthur Morgan,” her voice hitched as she said his name._

_“He was very handsome and so sweet to me, and we fell in love. Eventually, through our love, I got pregnant with you.”_

_Bea’s eyes widened a bit, but she kept quiet to hear the rest of the story._

_“But…something bad happened and we couldn’t be together anymore. And I didn’t get the chance to tell him about you.”_

_Mary waited for her to respond but was met with a lost look on her daughter’s face._

_“You understand Bea? I’m your momma and Arthur Morgan is your daddy.”_

_Bea gave a little gasp, “I have a daddy?” she said in wonderment._

_Mary gave a small laugh through her tears and nodded._

_“That’s right honey Bea. Your daddy is Arthur Morgan. Which means your name isn’t really Beatrice Williams, it’s Beatrice Morgan. You were named after his mama, your grandmother. And guess what?”_

_“What?” Beatrice whispered in awe._

_Mary smiled, “Your daddy is gonna take care of you once I’m go-once I’m…up in heaven. He’s gonna come get you and you’ll get to live with him and his…family.”_

_Mary noticed the unsure looks passed between Jamie and Emily but ignored them. She knew Arthur was going to come. She refused to die before knowing their daughter was safely in his hands._

_“But…I don’t want to leave Uncle Jamie and Emily,” Bea said sadly._

_“Its okay,” Emily rubbed her back comfortingly, “I’m sure you can still visit us sometimes. And write letters.”_

_The uncertainty in her voice was evident to the other two adults but telling the young girl she may never see them again would only cause unnecessary trauma on top of everything else going on._

_Still, Bea didn’t seem all too happy with that answer, but made no further comment on it. She looked back down towards Mary._

_“How come you didn’t say you were my mommy before?”_

_The question was innocent enough, and completely justified, but it still broke Mary’s heart to have her daughter learn she had been lying to her throughout her young life._

_“Well because your grandfather, Mr. Gillis, made me. He said he would…do mean things if I didn’t lie. And I wanted keep you as safe as possible.”_

_“I don’t like him,” Bea admitted cautiously. “He’s scary, and he acts mean no matter what.”_

_Mary gave a long sigh. “I know. Which is another reason why staying with your daddy will better for you. You won’t have to live with your nasty grandfather anymore.”_

_“Okay,” Bea nodded. She seemed to like the idea of that._

_After a few moments of silence she slowly leaned her body forward and maneuvered herself so she was laying snug up against Mary’s side. She reached her small arm across Mary’s chest and started fiddling with a piece of her hair. Something she had done since she was a toddler which always helped sooth her._

_She glanced up at Mary who smiled back warmly. “I love you mommy."_

_Mary couldn’t stop the choked sob that left her lips as she heard her daughter say those words which she never thought she would hear._

_With tears streaming down her face she kissed her daughter on the forehead, “I love you too baby girl, so so so much.”_

_Jamie smiled at the tender display, a few tears escaping his eyes as well. He stood up and kissed both girls on the forehead, then slipped out of the room to let them rest while Emily watched over them._

_*End Flashback*_

That had been a little over two weeks ago. It was scary to think how that short amount of time had made such a difference in Mary’s health. Jamie held her now extremely bony hand in his while he watched her hollow chest struggle to fall and rise. She had barely eaten anything since the surgery. Only able to handle a simple broth on the best of days.

On top of that, her wound from her surgery was not healing. When Jamie asked the doctor about it he said it was possible the cancer spread to the wound and was preventing it from healing properly. He gave Jamie some morphine for free out of pity for the poor woman, but there was nothing else that could be done.

Jamie knew. Mary could pass at any moment now. She probably would have already if she wasn’t so determined to make sure Arthur came for Bea.

The man in question was still a no-show and it worried Jamie immensely. Mary on the other hand continued having faith he would come.

Their father had started disappearing for days at a time. Never really acknowledging anyone else in the house.

Jamie finally confronted him a few nights prior, demanding he see to his daughter who lay dying in his own home. But he blew Jamie off, saying something about how he was going to be able to fix her once he gets paid on an “important trade deal.” While Jamie was surprised to hear his father finally admit Mary was sick, his shady behavior towards the situation did nothing to comfort him.

He bounced his leg anxiously thinking about his father’s ill intentions, and the fact that Arthur still had not shown up.

He spent the rest of his day by Mary’s side, waiting for each breath to be her last. She could barely talk now. Even if Arthur does show up she probably won’t be able to speak to him, not in the way she wants to anyway.

It was when the sun started to dip even lower in the sky did Jamie abandon his post at his sister’s bedside. Allowing Emily to take over for him while he slipped out of the house once more.

For the first time since he started doing this, Jamie did not bother watching all the people come and go. Waiting for the one man he needed to appear like a knight in shining armor. Instead, he chose to lean forward on the bench he was sitting on, keep his head down and stare at his clasped hands with a blank expression. All hope slowly draining from his body.

He wasn’t even keeping track of his time there like usual. It was when a slightly chill breeze made him shiver that he realized he was sitting alone in the dark. He checked his pocket watch and realized it was already near midnight.

He raised his head and gave a large sigh of defeat before hoisting himself up and shuffling away from the fountain. Once he reached the street he started making his way back home. That’s when he heard the faint clip clops of a horse coming from the opposite direction.

This normally would not be out of the ordinary but these sounded frantic, and quick. Very much unlike the casual stroll of city horses.

He turned around to look for the sound and what he saw was the shape of a rider quickly approaching him. As the rider drew closer that shape slowly morphed into none other Arthur Morgan.

“Jamie?! That you?” The man shouted when he noticed him. But Jamie only stared back in disbelief.

It wasn’t until Arthur was right in front him, his mare breathing heavily and foaming at the mouth did he believe what he was seeing.

“You’re here?” he asked in disbelief.

“I’m here,” Arthur confirmed. “I’m sorry it took me so long. I thought for sure I missed ya. I-I hope I’m not too late?”

The question brought Jamie back to reality. “Too late? N-No, you’re not too late. Well maybe with Mary you might be. She’s in a real bad way Arthur. Could be any moment last I saw her.”

Arthur gave him a curious look but figured the kid was just flustered. “Alright then, no time to waste. Hop on.”

He held his arm out to Jamie who quickly accepted. The horse let out an agitated cry at the extra weight.

“I know girl, just a little longer I promise,” he whispered to the already exhausted mare.

He nudged her into a light gallop, making their way towards the Gillis household.

“I hope father’s not home,” Jamie whispered when they entered the home.

“That makes two of us,” Arthur grumbled.

“You don’t understand Arthur. He’s completely lost his mind now. He’s real sick in the head.”

Arthur hummed sadly but gave no other comment.

Jamie led them up the stairs until they reached Mary’s bedroom door. He put his hand on the handle before looking back at Arthur.

“I should warn you, she doesn’t look well. I mean…er…she’s lost a lot of weight and looks very sickly. Seeing her like this might be a bit of a shock to you.”

“I understand,” Arthur answered solemnly. He tried his best to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to see.

Jamie nodded and peaked open the door to look inside, making sure Bea wasn’t in the room. He was sure she should have been put to bed by now but wanted to confirm. When he saw it was just Emily by Mary’s bedside he opened the door fully.

“There you are. I’ve been wondering where you’ve be-” Emily cut herself off when she saw the outlaw step into the room behind Jamie.

“Look who I stumbled into,” Jamie tried to say lightheartedly.

Emily silently rose from her seat, keeping her eyes trained on Arthur as she walked up to him and took both of his hands in hers.

“Mr. Morgan, thank God you’re here.”

“Miss Emily,” he greeted.

“You remember me then?” she asked amused.

“Course, you was always kind to me,” he smiled.

She smiled back and squeezed his hands before letting go and moving back towards Mary’s bedside.

“I’ll see if I can get her to wake up, but no promises.”

She sank gently onto the bed at Mary’s side and tried nudging her a few times. Mary made a few pained noises but kept her eyes closed, so Emily tried calling her name and shaking her a bit more.

As she tried getting Mary to wake, Arthur finally got his first real glance at the woman he loved all those years ago. Jamie was right to try and prepare him. His heart shattered at the site of her. Nothing but skin and bones, her entire body was pale and fragile looking. He’s sure he wouldn’t have even recognized her if he hadn’t known it was Mary. It made him sick how a decent woman like her could suffer and die in such a way while a murderer like him continued to live happy and healthy.

“Mary wake up dear, Arthur’s here. He came.” Emily’s voice echoed throughout the room.

A weak, “Arthur…?” slipped from Mary’s lips.

Both Jamie and Arthur jerked their heads at her reply. Arthur quickly taking the empty seat next to her bed and covering her bony hand with his.

“I’m right here Mary. I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

She weakly turned her head to face him, “I knew you’d come.” Her lips twitched into an almost smile and her heavy-lidded eyes caught his gaze.

“I’m here darlin,” he assured her again and ran a loving finger over her cheek. He couldn’t help but try to comfort the dying woman as much as possible.

Jamie was shocked to see Mary actually talk after days of silence but he supposed she had been saving all her energy just for him.

“I’m so sorry,” she began. “For all the hurt I put you through.”

Arthur shook his head, “Don’t worry about none of that now.”

She slid her hand from under his and grasped it as best she could. “Please Arthur, I have to tell you the truth about that night at the train station.”

“Mary…you don’t gotta-”

“I wanted to go with you,” she interrupted him. “I wanted it more than anything. There was no other man, at least not until after that night.”

Arthur scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “Then why-?”

“I was pregnant,” her voice cracked and tears trailed down her face. “And my father found out, and he forced me to tell him about our plans to run away. H-he was there that night at the train station, with armed guards. He said that if I didn’t break your heart and get you to leave, they would capture you and turn you into the law. Make sure that you were hung. I-I couldn’t let him hurt you,” she sobbed.

Arthur’s eyes were blown wide in shock and slowly filled with tears at Mary's confession. He brushed away her tears and caressed her face to calm her down.

“Y-you were pregnant?” he whispered.

She wept and nodded. “Father was so angry...”

Arthur flicked his eyes towards her midsection before making eye contact with her again. “Did he hurt you?” he asked darkly. “Make you…”

But Mary quickly shook her head no. “He didn’t physically hurt me. But he said he would make me give the baby up to the orphanage. I spent my whole pregnancy hating myself for what I did to you, and thinking I would have to give away the only piece of you I had left. That I would have to abandon our baby,” she cried.

Arthur cried along with her, “Oh Mary…I’m so sorry. I should have protected you better. Both of you. I should have realized something was wrong.”

She shook her head again and took a shuddered breath before continuing.

“When the day came, and I got to hold our little girl in my arms and she looked so much like you…I knew I could never let her go. I begged him with all I had, until he agreed to let her stay.”

An unknown emotion flickered across his face. “She?” he whispered.

Mary did her best to smile at him but her strength was dwindling by the second. “That’s right. We have a daughter Arthur. Beatrice Morgan. Named her after your mother. Father only let me keep her if I lied to her and said her real parents were dead. And I had to marry whoever he chose for me. It was so hard…to keep the truth from her. And from you. But now…you both know the truth. And you can finally meet each other.”

“You told her about...me?” he sounded genuinely confused.

Mary nodded. “A few weeks ago. I finally told her the truth about both of us being her parents. And now she is very excited to meet her daddy.”

She looked towards Emily who had been quietly standing off to the side. “Can you please go wake her up? Get her packed?”

Emily nodded and slipped out of the room.

Arthur watched Emily leave then turned back to Mary with a confused look. “Packed?”

She sighed softly, “You gotta take her Arthur. She’s yours now.”

“Wha-? B-but you know the life I lead. Ain’t safe for her!” His voice sounded panicked and he had a terrified look in his eyes. 

“I’m dyin’ Arthur. Emily will have to leave town and Jamie has his own future to worry about. Father’s gone crazy…She can’t stay here. And she’s got no where else to go. She belongs with her father. Please Arthur, please promise me you’ll look after her. I can’t leave this world in peace until I know she’ll be taken care of by someone who loves her. That she'll be with you. Please.” She gripped his hand with all her strength.

He looked into her pleading eyes and saw what can only be described as a mother’s unconditional love for her child. That’s when it actually clicked in his head that Mary had been mothering _their_ daughter all this time, alone. She birthed her, nurtured her, kept her safe from all that would harm her, for _years_ without any help from the one person she needed most. As a matter of fact, he gave her nothing but contempt since the night he abandoned her on that platform. Taking care of their child was the absolute least he could do for her.

He pressed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, “Okay. I’ll take her with me, keep her safe…and I'll love her every single day of my life,” he promised.

Mary gave a small sigh of relief and melted even further into the bed. She looked towards a dresser against the wall.

“I have something for you, in the top drawer. A journal. It’s got pictures and some stories and notes I wrote about her throughout the years.”

Jamie who had been sitting in a chair nearby jumped up to retrieve it. He found it quickly and walked over to give it to Arthur.

Arthur accepted the journal from Jamie but noticed something small and shiny slip out of it and land on the bed. He picked it up to better examine it in the light. His eyes widened when he realized it was the ring he gave Mary all those years ago.

“I wish I could have worn it every day since you gave it to me. Wish…we could have had the life we wanted…with our daughter,” Mary spoke up softly.

Arthur gave her a heartbroken look and twirled it in his fingers for a few seconds before taking hold of Mary’s left hand and slipping it onto her ring finger. It was much too big for her now but that didn’t matter.

“Was always meant for you anyhow,” he choked out with tears falling from his eyes.

She let a few tears fall too at his gesture. “Please forgive me Arthur. For everything. Tell Bea how much her mama loves her. Don’t let her forget.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now.

He let a few more tears escape before rubbing them away with his hand.

“Ain’t nothing to forgive darlin’. You just rest easy now. Y-you don’t gotta suffer no more. I’ll keep our little girl safe and I’ll remind her every day that her mama loves her more than anything.”

He leaned over her and swept her hair back tenderly before pressing his lips to her forehead. A few tears dripped into her hair. He sniffled and stepped back, gazing sorrowfully down at her as her eyes slipped closed.

He looked up and waved Jamie over.

The young man walked over timidly and when he was close enough, Arthur reached out and pulled him closer to the bed. He placed both of his hands on the Jamie’s shoulders and sat him down in the seat he had just been occupying.

Mary cracked her eyes open again and twitched her hand towards Jamie who didn’t hesitate to reach out and clasp it.

“I’m so proud of you little brother. Please promise me you’ll get away from father and make a great life for yourself. You’re capable of so much and I know you’ll do great things.”

“I-I will Mary. I promise. You-” he let out a sob and Arthur squeezed his shoulders to let him know he was there for him.

“You’re the best big sister a kid could ask for. And I-I’m gonna miss you so much,” he cried.

The door creaked open and Emily stepped back inside. Arthur tilted his head at her to come over which she obliged.

“Almost time I think,” he whispered to her. She nodded and moved to sit on the other side of the bed. Grasping Mary’s other hand and stroking her hair.

“Emily…” Mary whispered.

The older woman smiled sadly, “I’m here sweetheart.”

Mary’s breaths became more labored and she couldn’t much open her eyes anymore, but she channeled all her energy into speaking with her loved ones until the very end.

“Thank you…for everything you’ve done. I…I…wouldn’t have made it this far without you. You…were like a…second mother to me.”

Emily held her hand to her mouth as she wept, “It was an honor Mary. Y-you just tell your mama I say hello when you get up there, okay?”

Mary hummed, “I…love you all. Tell daddy…I love him too, even after all he did, I love ‘im. T-tell Bea I love her…and that…I’ll be watching over her.”

Arthur and Jamie wept silently while Emily continued caressing her face. “We all love you too. We’ll make sure to tell Bea you love her and that her mama will always be with her.”

Mary gave no response. Her ragged breaths grew slower and slower until it was just a small shallow wheeze then…nothing.

Jamie and Emily immediately broke down into wailing sobs. Arthur wept quietly and after a minute or so pulled Jamie up and out of the chair into a crushing hug. The young man clung to him desperately and sobbed into his chest. 

Arthur cradled his head. “I’m so sorry son,” he whispered into his hair.

He looked over at Emily and opened his other arm out to her. She quickly made her way to them and fell into his embrace along with Jamie.

The three of them clung to each other and cried over the loss of a woman so special to each of them.

Their cries eventually died down and they relinquished their holds on one another.

“We gotta go tell Bea,” Emily murmured.

Jamie nodded in agreement. “You ready to meet your daughter?” he asked the outlaw.

Arthur wiped his last remaining tears away and gave a short nod.

The trio made their way into the hall and stopped in front of Bea’s door.

“She's not used to being up right now so she probably fell back asleep after I woke her up,” Emily admitted. “Let's see…” she started opening the door slowly and Arthur felt his heart rate speed up.

“Bea…” she called and opened the door a little bit more.

Arthur tilted his head to get a better look in the room but he was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening downstairs.

All three heads looked towards the stairs as the voice of Mr. Gillis floated up to them.

“Oh no…” Jamie groaned. “If he sees you here…he’ll lose his mind.”

“Wait. Sounds like someone’s with him,” Emily whispered.

The three listened closely and realized that yes, there was a second voice downstairs.

Jamie had a sudden look of realization, “I-I think I know who it is. Oh God…he was actually going to do it…” he whispered to himself.

“What? What are you talking about?” Arthur asked.

Jamie almost looked too scared to speak for a second. “A few weeks ago…I caught him talking to some shady man in an alleyway. I eavesdropped on them and it sounded like he was trying to…” he struggled to get the words out.

“We think he was making a deal to _sell_ Bea to this guy. As in…” Emily trailed off not wanting to say the words. But the dark look on Arthur’s face showed he understood.

“He must have thought we would all be asleep right now and he could just steal her away in the night,” she professed angrily.

Arthur clenched his jaw. His fists tightened at his side and he nearly snarled like a wild beast.

“He was going to sell _my_ daughter? _Mary’s_ daughter?” he grit out.

“We would have never let him get to her Arthur, I swear,” Emily tried soothing him.

He breathed heavily from the rage building inside him. He looked between Jamie and Emily, “You two get her ready to go. Let her say goodbye to Mary. I’ll deal with your father…and his guest,” he spat.

The two looked slightly frightened of the enraged man but nodded quickly before slipping into the bedroom and closing the door behind them.

Arthur grimaced at the closed door, once again separating him from his daughter. He gave a sigh and started slowly descending the steps, cracking his knuckles and neck as he went.

As he got closer, he could hear the other voices more clearly.

“Per our deal Mr. Gillis, we have five thousand dollars waiting in our coach outside,” a voice hissed out.

“Now we just need the child.”

“Of course, she’s right upstairs,” Mr. Gillis responded joyfully. It made Arthur scowl.

Mr. Gillis started heading towards the stairs and right as he was about to turn the corner, an extremely pissed off looking Arthur Morgan stepped in front of him. His chest was puffed out and his eyes held a murderous glare that would make any sane person soil themselves.

The older man let out a shriek and stepped back, “W-what the hell! What are _you_ doing here?!” he sputtered.

Arthur advanced dangerously, with slow, deliberate steps, forcing the other man to retreat backwards until he tripped over a piece of furniture and fell.

“Who is this?!” the other man demanded.

Arthur turned his attention towards the snake-like man and roughly grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall. He pulled his knife out and held it against the man’s throat.

“I’m the father of the little girl you were trying to _buy_ you sick piece of shit,” he growled.

The man whimpered and turned his head towards Mr. Gillis. “Y-you said the child’s father was dead!”

Arthur pulled him forward just to slam him back into the wall with a loud thud.

“Oh I am very much alive. And. Very. Deadly.” To prove his point, he pressed his knife harder into the man’s neck until a trickle of blood slid down.

“No please!”

Arthur released the pressure and brought his face closer to the man, “I would slaughter ya right here if it weren’t for the fact that my daughter is under this roof. That, and I wouldn’t want the good people of this home to have to mop up the mess,” he snarled.

“Still won’t stop me from doing this though,” he pulled his fist back and landed a hard blow to the man’s rat-like face. A satisfying crunch echoed throughout the room as he crushed his nose.

“Aggghhh!” the man immediately held his hands to his now bloody face. 

Arthur shoved him hard towards the door, “Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind and throttle the life out of you. And just know that if I ever see ya again…and I mean ever…I won’t hesitate to blow your goddamn brains out.”

The man made an enraged noise but then slowly stumbled his way out of the front door.

“No! What have you done?! My money dammit!” Mr. Gillis yelled from the ground.

Arthur whirled on him and roughly dragged the man back up to his feet, noticing he reeked of alcohol.

“As for you! You fucking pig!” he shook the man aggressively. “You tried to sell your own goddamn granddaughter while your daughter lay dying right in front of you?!”

“I-I was trying to get the money for Mary’s surgery. Sh-she said she needed surgery to make her better,” he slurred out.

“Bullshit! You wanted the money for yourself. Besides, you thought she would be okay with you selling her daughter to pay for her surgery…that she already goddamn had?!”

Mr. Gillis sneered at him. “That _mistake_ has been nothing but trouble for Mary. She’s trash! Just like her father! I should’a made sure that little bitch was never bo-”

Arthur slammed his fist into his jaw, effectively silencing the wretched man and knocking him to the ground.

He groaned and rolled onto his back. Too drunk and disoriented from the hit to get up.

Arthur knelt down next him, huffing angrily. “Mary’s gone you know. While you were out tonight getting drunk and making deals with vermin, she took her last breath. And you couldn’t even take _one_ second to pull your head out of your ass to see your only daughter one last time before she left this earth.”

“Y-you’re lying. Sh-she’s fine,” the man groaned out.

“I ain’t lying. And you know something? She used her dying breaths to say she still loved you. After all the _bullshit_ and torture you put her through, she still goddamn _loved_ you,” he stood up and looked down at the pathetic lump of a man.

“And that makes her better than all’a us,” he sighed and started walking away.

“Y-you’ll just get that little shit killed y’know. Like you would have gotten Mary killed if she married you.” He started laughing insanely.

Arthur stopped in his tracks and turned around, ready to knock the irritating man clean out. Only the liquor did the job first as his laugh died out and his body grew slack. He was still breathing though. Unfortunately.

When Arthur turned around again he saw Jamie standing in the archway with a bag in his arms.

“D-did you kill him?” he asked with wide eyes.

“No,” Arthur gruffed out. “He’s just passed out.”

“Oh, o-okay. Well…she’s uh ready. Here’s her bag. There’s some clothes and books and things in there. There’s also a letter for her from Mary. She wrote it right after she realized…ya know. Anyways, I wouldn’t stick around here for long. All that shouting might have attracted unwanted attention. And father has ‘friends’ in the law. He might wake up and get them to look for you.”

Arthur grabbed the bag from him, “Got it. I’ll go tie this to my horse. Go ahead and bring her down. It’s safe now.”

Jamie nodded and ascended the stairs.

He went outside to tie the bag to Luna’s back. When he approached the front door again he could hear the sound of a new voice. That new voice suddenly made his heart race and palms sweaty.

He took a deep breath and shook his arms out to calm his nerves. Then opened the door.

The first thing he noticed was her small head of long golden locks. She had her back to him with Jamie and Emily kneeling in front of her speaking softly.

The two adults looked up at him when he reentered, but he kept his eyes trained on the back of the little girl’s head. When Bea noticed Jamie and Emily’s attention draw away from her, she turned around and looked up at him.

She clutched her doll tightly and cautiously studied the new strange man. Her big blue eyes watched him nervously and she shrunk back against Emily’s skirt under his awestruck gaze.

Arthur's world seemed to tilt as he finally laid eyes on his daughter. He was surprised by how much she resembled Isaac...But he wouldn't let that train of thought continue much further. She looked so…perfect. He didn’t think anything so beautiful could ever come from him.

After the shock faded a little, he took a deep breath and calmly knelt down to her level.

“Hey sweetheart,” he greeted softly.

Bea buried her head in Emily’s skirt but kept one eye peeked out to watch him. Arthur figured the poor thing was probably so overwhelmed with everything going on. Being woken up in the middle night to learn her mama passed away and she had to leave the only home and family she knew with a man she’s never met…It’s a wonder the girl was as calm as she was.

Emily tsked playfully at her, “Why are you being so shy huh? That’s your daddy. You were so excited to meet him just a few days ago.” She chuckled and gave Arthur an apologetic look.

“That’s alright,” he smiled at Emily.

He looked back at Bea who was still keeping a close eye on him. “I’m sorry we haven’t met until now Beatrice. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you or your ma the last few years but…I promise I’m gonna take good care of you now, okay?”

The little girl blinked at him a few times then slowly untucked herself from Emily and nodded.

“Can Sarah come too?” she asked shyly. Her sweet childlike voice making Arthur’s heart flutter.

“Sarah?”

“The doll,” Jamie clarified, amused.

Arthur looked down at the doll tightly grasped in her tiny fists and smiled. “Why sure, I don’t see why not. She looks like a sweet girl.”

Bea giggled at Arthur’s playful tone and flashed him the most adorable smile he ever laid eyes on. His heart melted and he knew…he was in love.

He let out a few laughs with her and held a hand out to her, “C’mere darlin’.”

She timidly let one arm go of the doll and placed her small hand in his. He gently pulled her to him and wrapped his big arms around her tiny frame, relishing the feeling of holding her for the first time.

“I won’t ever let anything bad happen to you. I promise,” he whispered to her then kissed the top of her head.

He was rewarded with her arm snaking its way around his neck as she hugged him back.

He sighed happily and lifted her up off the ground as he stood. Holding her even closer and running a soothing hand up and down her back as she laid her head against his shoulder.

“S’pose its time to go now. You say goodbye to your mama?” he nudged Bea’s head a little with his chin.

She just nodded against his shoulder and gripped onto him tighter.

He gave her a few pats on the back, “Good girl. She loved you more than anything in the world.”

A sad look was passed between the three adults then Emily stepped around Arthur to open the front door. He nodded his thanks and stepped out, the other two following close behind.

They stood next to Luna and Arthur passed Bea over to Emily to say her goodbyes.

The woman held her tight and did her best to smile through the tears as she told Bea how much she loved her and how much she would miss her.

She then passed the little girl over to Jamie who did the same thing and promised her they would see each other again.

He passed her back to Arthur who gently lifted her onto the saddle and made sure she was well situated before grabbing something out of his saddle bag and turning around.

“Here,” he offered a handful money out to Emily. “So you can see to it Mary gets buried proper. And use the rest of it to get yourselves out of here as quick as you can.”

Emily gently accepted the money with a stunned face then looked down and realized just how much it was.

“Th-this is too much Arthur. We couldn’t possibly-”

He raised a hand to stop her, “Please, it’s the least I can do to make up for not being here all these years. And I’ll feel much better knowing you two have a chance of getting away from him.”

“Thank you,” Jamie replied when Emily couldn’t form words through her choked up tears.

Arthur gave a nod and turned around to lift himself up on the saddle behind Bea.

“If you need to write me you can send letters to the post office in Rhodes. I’m staying close to there for now. Make it out to Tacitus Kilgore…long story.”

They nodded and stepped back as he turned Luna around.

“Y-you take of our girl there Mr. Morgan,” Emily cried.

“I will,” he nodded to both of them individually then spurred Luna forward.

Bea kept her eyes on Jamie and Emily for as long as she could before they quickly disappeared from her sight.

She felt her father lay a protective arm over her as they rode into the night. She clutched onto him, now the only guardian in her life, and buried her head into his sleeve as she quietly wept with the realization she was never coming back to that home. Never going to see her mother again.

She cried at the unknown and mysterious world she was riding in to.

But the protective embrace from her father made that unknown just a little less terrifying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have titled this chapter "Everyone Wont Stop Crying" or "Infinite Tears" lol.
> 
> Anyways, hope ya'll didn't cry too much. Comments and kudos always welcome and always brighten my day (｡♥‿♥｡).


	10. Welcome Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again beautiful people! Sorry (once again) for taking so long to post. As usual, life and work are hectic. I also just started playing Last of Us II (whoop! whoop!). 
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe out there in these crazy times!

The duo continued riding away from the muggy city. 

Arthur decided to keep to the main roads to the south seeing as it was still the middle of the night and he didn’t much care to take the side roads through the bayou in the dark.

Every once in a while, he heard a few quiet whimpers leave Bea, and each one made his heart ache. He tightened his hold on her and gave soft reassurances whenever she gave a particularly loud sob. She eventually quieted down and Arthur would have thought she was asleep if it wasn’t for her constant death grip on his sleeve.

But now that he had a moment to think, his head was reeling with everything that just happened. Mary was gone. They had a _daughter_. Everything that he thought happened between him and Mary was a lie. She only did what she did in the past to save his life. She went on for years suffering and being a single mother to their child. And for what? Just so she could die and have her daughter’s absent father steal her away in the night like a thief? He couldn’t help the guilty feeling eating away at his chest.

He found himself at a loss of what his next step should be. He didn’t want to go straight back to camp. For starters, he didn’t want to cause a ruckus in the middle of the night by arriving home with a child in tow. As soon as one person noticed, the whole camp would be alerted, asleep or not. Two, he wasn’t quite prepared to deal with the inevitable questions and comments he’s sure to receive from the rest of the gang, nor did he think Bea needed the unwanted attention just yet. And three, he felt he needed to prepare his daughter before throwing her into a life of rough living. Considering she had grown up in a city with a roof over her head.

With all that in consideration, Arthur decided to head for the closest town – Rhodes. He figured he could book a room for the remainder of the night and figure everything out tomorrow.

They were getting closer when a loud _BOOM_ of thunder cracked above them. Bea startled against him and let out a terrified gasp. It didn’t help that Luna also became agitated and let out a few concerned whinnies and began stomping around erratically.

“Whoa! Easy girl. Easy…” Arthur couldn’t reach forward to pet her neck as he usually does, because Bea was in front him. So, he squeezed her sides with his legs and continued to offer soothing words.

Once she was calm he turned his attention towards Bea who yelped when another round of thunder roared overhead.

“Its okay, I got you.” He held her tight against him. “It’s just thunder.”

“It’s so loud,” she squeaked fearfully.

“I know, but it can’t hurt you. Promise.” As the words left his mouth a bolt of lightening struck in the not so far off distance, followed by more thunder. Then Arthur felt something wet land on his face followed by several more sprinkles of water.

“Ah shit…er…I mean…” he forgot he had small ears listening to every word he said, “don’t worry we’re almost there.”

He kicked Luna into a faster trot as the rain started coming down steadily.

“Where are we going?” Bea’s tiny voice piped up.

“We’re goin’ to a town called Rhodes. Just for the night though. Then I’ll take you to where I live in the morning.”

She must have been content with that answer because she gave no response.

As the rain grew heavier and the temperature dropped with the encroaching storm, Bea started shivering slightly in his hold.

He quickly stripped his jacket and wrapped it tight around the girl, hoping to keep her as warm and dry as possible.

Within minutes they were riding through a heavy shower of rain with thunder and lightening flashing and booming all around them.

Bea continued shivering but he figured it was more out of fear than the chill around them.

Arthur inwardly sighed in relief when the lights of Rhodes came into view.

“See those lights up ahead? Almost there,” he assured and felt Bea nod her head in return.

They arrived at the saloon and a sopping wet Arthur quickly dismounted and lifted Bea down and into his arms. He rushed to the shelter of the porch and when he went to set her down, she whined tiredly and refused to let go of his neck. He gave a sigh of defeat and picked her back up and went inside.

The man at the bar looked up in surprise when he heard the door open. He was not expecting anyone at this time of night, especially in a storm like this. He was especially surprised to see a soaking wet man walk up to him holding a shivering and scared looking little girl wrapped in a brown leather jacket.

“Hey partner, can I get a room?” Arthur shifted Bea to one arm then slapped some money on the counter using his other.

That seemed to get the man to snap out of his shock, “Wha- oh, uh yes sir here ya go. Room is right through those doors.”

He offered Arthur a key and gestured behind him.

“Thanks,” Arthur mumbled but hesitated to grab the key when he felt Bea give a particularly harsh shiver. He frowned and laid his hand on his daughters back in comfort.

“Everything alright sir?” The man asked Arthur, eyeing Bea and noticing the grimace on his face.

“Actually mister, can you also run me a warm bath? For my daughter I mean.” He tried not sound awkward saying the word _daughter_ out loud. It was definitely something that would take some getting used to.

“We was caught out in that storm. Poor thing is pretty cold.”

“Oh why, yes we can arrange that.” The man smiled and rang a bell signaling for someone to get a bath ready. “It will be ready soon.”

“Thanks,” Arthur handed him more money then bit the inside of his cheek when he realized something.

“Say mister…is there uh someone who could um assist her? I’ll pay the extra cost.” Its not that Arthur had a problem helping her bathe, but he wasn’t sure she would be so comfortable with it. He was still practically a stranger after all and he’s sure she would feel much better with a woman’s help. 

The man looked confused for a moment before catching the drift. “Ah! Oh why yes, Isabelle should be available. Isabelle!”

When no one answered the man yelled louder, “Isabelle!”

“What Tom? Stop screamin’ at me.” A young woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere rubbing her tired eyes.

“Your assistance in the bath room is needed.”

“You woke me for that? It’s almost 3 AM!”

Arthur suddenly felt guilty for having the young woman disturbed from her sleep, “I’m real sorry ma’am. It’s for my daughter. Just to get her warmed up.”

The woman turned her attention towards Arthur and the little girl in his arms, her anger quickly melting away.

“Oh,” she breathed. “Oh the poor dear. Yes I can take her. The bath is just right up the stairs.”

“Thank you miss, I really appreciate it.” Arthur knelt to put Bea on the ground.

“Alright sweetheart, you’re gonna go with this nice lady and get a nice warm bath okay? Then you can go to bed.” He gently pried her arms off of him even as she protested. Her eyes looked tired but still wary of everything going on around her.

The woman walked up and laid a hand her back. “C’mon sugar. I’ll have you back to your pa in no time.”

“You’re staying here tonight?” she asked Arthur who nodded and gestured to their room.

“Alright I’ll bring her to your room when we’re done.” She removed Arthur’s wet jacket from Bea’s small form and handed it to him. The little girl’s coat was open and Isabelle raised her eyebrow at the fact that she was already in a nightgown.

“Should I just redress her in her nightgown then? It’s still pretty dry.”

“Oh, uh sure that’s fine. Thank you again miss. I’ll pay you extra for your troubles.” Arthur hoped she didn’t ask any questions on why she was already in her nightgown, traveling through a storm in the middle of the night. He knew the whole situation probably seemed pretty suspicious.

She waved him off, “Oh it’s no trouble.” She grabbed Bea’s hand and smiled down at her, “Ready?”

Bea looked up at the woman then back to Arthur who nodded encouragingly. She begrudgingly allowed the woman to lead her up the stairs.

When she was out of earshot he stood and gave a heavy sigh.

“Rough day mister?” the bartender spoke up. And honestly, Arthur had forgotten he was even there.

“You have no idea,” he rasped.

The bartender remained silent as if waiting for Arthur to continue.

He moaned tiredly and leaned into the bar, “Her ma passed away just a few hours ago. She was sick.”

“Oh, I’m real sorry to hear that mister. Losin’ a wife? That’s real hard. Especially when you’ve got a young one.”

“She weren’t my wife,” he grumbled then paused thinking about how much information he wanted to reveal to the man.

“We was engaged once but…that was a while ago. We didn’t really speak since then.”

He sighed, “Didn’t even know we had a daughter til today…”

If the bartender had a drink in his mouth he would have spit it out. Instead, he made some flabbergasted sound and looked at Arthur like he had two heads.

After remaining frozen for a moment the man-Tom, if Arthur remembered correctly, seemed to regain some sense back.

“Well…” he shook his head in disbelief. “If ever there was a time to offer a man a free drink this would be it.”

He pulled a shot glass out and filled it with whiskey then pushed it towards Arthur. “On the house friend.”

Arthur grabbed it without hesitation, “Thanks. Much appreciated.” And downed it with one go.

He then realized he was still dressed in soaking wet clothes. He pushed away from the bar and headed back outside to Luna. The rain had died down but still remained an annoying presence.

He pat Luna on the neck and fed her some carrots, “Sorry for the rough day girl.”

He unstrapped the bag of Bea’s belongings and grabbed some fresh clothes for himself out of the saddlebag before making his way back inside and to his room.

He changed and sat in the armchair in the corner of the room. He closed his eyes and hummed, enjoying the first bit of rest he’s had in almost 24 hours. In fact 24 hours ago he had been resting comfortably in a tent, wrapped in Charles’ arms…

His eyes snapped open and he sat up with a start. _Oh shit…_

How was he going to explain all this to Charles? What kind of reaction will he have? And the gang?

He gave an exasperated exhale and collapsed back into the chair. He was too tired to think about all that. It was tomorrow's problem. Or well…later today considering it was now in the early morning hours.

Arthur reached into his satchel feeling for his journal. Not really with the intent of writing in it, just more of a comforting habit. He pulled out what felt like his journal but when he held it in front of him, he realized it was the journal Mary gave him. The one about Bea.

He stared at the cover, debating if he wanted to open it or not. Finally, he took a deep breath and flipped it open. He saw a few loose photographs in the back. He flipped past the many pages of handwriting until he reached the pictures.

The first picture that came into view was a familiar one. It was him and Mary, young and happy looking. He gave it a sad look then flipped it under the rest of the pictures.

The next picture was of a baby. He turned it over and saw written on the back, _Beatrice 3 Months Old_. He flipped it back over and studied every detail of their daughter as a baby. Her chubby cheeks, her bright eyes looking right into the camera, her tiny hands. She had part of her dress balled up into her fist and she looked to be chewing on it while giving a little smile.

Arthur traced the picture with his fingers. He felt tears start to form as he mourned the fact that he never got to see his daughter as baby. That he’s already missed out on the first 6 years of her life.

A few knocks on the door interrupted his emotional moment and he quickly put the picture back, snapping the book closed.

He got up and opened the door. Isabelle stood in front of him holding Bea’s hand. Bea was dressed only in her nightgown now, looking up at him with droopy eyes. Her long, wet hair had obviously been washed and brushed out by the young woman.

“Here she is,” Isabelle beamed and pulled Bea forward by the hand until she was in the room. “And her coat,” she handed to Arthur.

He nodded his thanks, “I really appreciate it miss. Here,” he handed her a few bucks. “It’s not much, but…”

“Oh, don’t mention it. That’s a real sweet girl you got there. You best take good care of her,” she smiled and walked away.

Arthur gave a small smile himself and shut the door.

“Alright little miss. Let’s get you in bed.”

She didn’t have to be told twice. As soon as Arthur pulled back the sheets she was crawling into the bed and laying her head down on the pillow.

“Where’s Sarah?” she looked up at him once she was settled.

It took Arthur a second to remember Sarah was her doll.

“Ah. Let me find her for ya.” He moved across the room and opened her bag, revealing the doll which he stuffed in there right before leaving Saint Denis. He was happy to see it was still dry along with the other contents in the bag.

He returned to Bea and handed her the doll which she was happy to once again have in her grasp.

Arthur pulled the sheets and cover over her body.

“D-daddy?” Bea’s voice wavered a little like she was testing the word out, unsure if she should be using it. Guess they both needed to get used to each other's titles. Still, it made Arthur’s heart skip a beat when she called him that.

He gave her a reassuring smile and stroked her soft cheek. “Yes darlin’?”

She gave him a sad look, “Why did mommy have to die?”

His smile fell and his hand froze.

“Aw sweetheart. Sometimes…these things just happen. It’s not fair and…unfortunately there’s nothing we can do to change it. No matter how hard we try.”

Her eyes looked down in dismay.

“Ya know…I was about your age when I lost my ma too. I remember it was real hard and I missed her. You’re named after her actually.”

Bea looked back up at him. “I know. Mama told me. So, did your daddy take care of you after your mommy went to heaven too?”

Arthur swallowed at the memories of Lyle “taking care” of him after his mother died. Those were easily the worst years of his life. He swore he would never follow in that monster’s footsteps.

“Not exactly… He weren’t a very nice father to me. But…after he died when I was a little bit older, these two men named Hosea and Dutch found me and took care of me. Like real fathers would, ‘cept they were nicer to me than my father.”

Bea gave him a contemplative look. “That’s a lot of daddies,” she said matter of factly.

Her comment made Arthur laugh out loud. “I suppose it is. And you’ll get to meet Hosea and Dutch tomorrow when I take you to where we live.”

She gave a big yawn and closed her eyes, “Okay.”

Arthur chuckled lowly and tucked the blankets around her some more and within seconds she was out like a light.

He returned to his spot in the armchair, happy to let his daughter have the bed to herself. He was used to sleeping in odd places anyway and he’s done way worse than a cushioned armchair. He removed his hat and set it on the table next to him.

His weary eyes lingered over the sleeping form of his daughter. The sudden weight of responsibility crushing down on him. How was he supposed to care for her and keep up with his duties to the gang?

He scrubbed his face with one hand and held back an audible groan. He knew he loved her, he really did. But he couldn’t help but think it would have been better if she had stayed with Jamie and Emily. They already knew how to take care of her. And surely they wouldn’t have put her in more danger than him by bringing her into a gang of outlaws for God’s sake.

But it’s not what Mary wanted. And she wasn’t Jamie and Emily’s responsibility, she was his. Plus, he knew if he had left Bea in the hands of someone else he would be constantly wondering if she was safe. Constantly dealing with feelings of anxiousness and fear that she would end up like Isaac without him there to protect her…

He shook his head of that thought and leaned back in the chair. He would never let that happen. Not again…

He gave one last heavy exhale before tilting his head back against the chair and drifting off to catch some much needed sleep.

*************

Arthur woke slowly with a deep pain in his neck from sleeping in such an odd position. He groaned as he sat up, cracking his neck and rubbing his tired eyes until they adjusted to the now bright room.

He looked up and saw Bea was already awake and standing in front of the window, peaking out at the activities going on outside.

He yawned to get her attention without startling her.

“See anything interesting out there?” he asked her.

She just looked at him and shrugged. “Not really. There’s not as many people here as Saint Denis.”

Arthur hummed in response. Poor kid only knew the city life. That made him worry even more about how she would handle being thrown into a completely different lifestyle.

“Let’s say you and I get ready for the day and get some breakfast in us okay?” he got up and moved over to her bag to fish out some clothes for her.

At the mention of food she nodded her head eagerly and followed him over to her pack.

He opened it up to view all the contents and was suddenly at a loss.

“Uh…”

Luckily Bea reached down and pulled out some under garments and a blue gingham dress and held it up. “I wanna wear this one!” She then stepped back and started dressing herself to Arthur’s relief.

“Well alrighty then. You won’t get no argument from me,” he chuckled. He moved to the wash basin in the corner of the room to give his face a quick scrub. As he was drying his face Bea called out to him.

“Daddy I need help with my buttons.”

He turned around to see she had mostly gotten herself sorted except for the row of buttons in the back that she couldn’t reach.

He knelt down to help her. “Alright let’s see…”

He cursed under his breath as his large hands struggled to hook the dainty buttons properly.

“Uncle Jamie could never do my buttons either,” Bea giggled as he continued to struggle.

Arthur couldn’t help but huff out a laugh. “Well, why they gotta make ladies clothes so complicated huh? Even little ladies.”

“I don’t know,” she giggled and shrugged. She was obviously finding the whole situation amusing.

While she might have been laughing at his expense, Arthur was happy to see his daughter in a cheerier mood compared to the awful night before.

A knock on the door stole his attention away from the infuriating buttons.

“It’s Isabelle!” the young woman called through the door. Arthur almost cried in relief.

“Come in!”

She gently opened the door and stepped inside. “Good morning. Just wanted to check in on you two, see how you’re holding up.”

She glanced down at them and chuckled heartedly at the scene in front of her.

“My daddy can’t do my buttons,” Bea giggled into her hands.

“Hey! You little tattletale!” Arthur tickled her side making her squeal with laughter.

Isabelle laughed along with them then pointed at the dress, “You need some help with that?”

Arthur quickly stepped back and nodded, “Yes please.”

Isabelle took his place behind Bea and started doing the buttons up with expertise. 

“We’ll be serving breakfast soon. Would you like us to bring you something?”

“That would be perfect. Thank you.”

Isabelle beamed up at him. “Great! Why don’t you two find a table and we’ll bring you something soon.”

“Sounds good.”

Arthur picked out a booth for them to sit at, with Bea sitting across from him. Her small frame barely reaching higher than the table. A few minutes later Isabelle brought out some food for them, accepting Arthur’s cash in return.

He watched his daughter happily munch on some eggs while continuing to be interested in staring out the window at the activities happening outside.

He swallowed his last bit of food before nervously clearing his throat, “So…sweetheart…”

She turned her attention towards him, “Mhm?”

“We’re gonna head out once we’re done eating okay?”

“Okay,” she said almost cheerfully. “Then we’re gonna go to your house?”

Arthur gave her an awkward look. “Well…you see…I don’t really live in a house. I live with a group of people in a camp. We’re kind of like a big family. And we…like to travel around. So, we don’t have a house, but we still got everything you need to be happy. Food, shelter, and lots of people to look out for ya.”

She gave him a somewhat contemplative look before saying, “Okay,” nonchalantly and shoving her last bite of eggs in her mouth before announcing she was done and ready to leave.

Arthur chuckled at her eagerness to go.

As Arthur was tying Bea’s bag onto Luna’s rump, Bea was looking up at the horse with curiosity. She held her hand up and Luna leaned her head down to sniff and nudge at it, making Bea laugh. Arthur smiled at the scene and fished out a peppermint to hand to Bea.

“Her name is Luna. Here, you can feed her this peppermint. They’re her favorite treat. You just gotta hold it out to her in your palm.”

Arthur placed the mint in her hand and showed her how to hold it up to the horse. When Luna nibbled it out of her hand Bea squealed and told him it tickled.

He laughed and picked her up, showing her how to also pet Luna’s face which she did with a beaming smile.

After that Arthur got them both situated in the saddle and they started the short trek to Clemens Point.

On the way there Bea asked Arthur about all the people she was going to meet. He told her all about Dutch and Hosea and what it was like growing up with them (excluding the violent outlaw stuff). Then he told her about John and how they grew up as brothers. He told her about all the women in camp that she can go to if she wants to talk to other ladies.

“You know, there is one person that I know is going to be the most excited to meet you.”

She tilted her head up at him, “who?” she asked curiously.

“John and Abigail’s son, Jack. He’s a little younger than you but I’m sure you two will be great friends. He’s been wanting someone to play with and since he’s the only kid he’s been a bit lonely.”

 _That. And his damn father won’t give him the time of day._ Arthur thought bitterly.

“I’ve never had a real friend before,” Bea said matter of factly.

A sad look crossed Arthur’s face. She’s been so sheltered and hidden away from the rest of the world she’s never really interacted with other people before. Not outside Mary, Jamie, and Emily that is. He supposes Jack is in the same boat. He’s almost never taken outside of camp and he certainly has never had a real friend before.

“Well now you two can both have a friend.”

“Ya!” she said excitedly.

They settled into a comfortable silence. During which Arthur’s thoughts jumped to the man he was the most nervous to see. Charles.

He couldn’t even fathom how he would take the news. He only hoped that he would be able to convince Charles that this changes nothing between them. He still cared for the man just the same as before. He still found himself feeling slightly hollow without his presence.

If Charles thought Arthur wouldn’t be interested in a relationship after all this then he would do everything he could to prove him wrong. Prove that he loved him just as mu-

 _Wait,_ Arthur’s head screamed at him.

_Love?_

Did he _love_ Charles? Surely he cared for him immensely but…are the feelings in his gut telling him its more than that? Or maybe his emotions were just out of sorts with all that’s happened in the last 24 hours.

He pushed those thoughts deep down and decided to just focus on the road in front of them.

As they finally approached the camp Arthur could feel the uncomfortable nervousness building in his belly. He silently prayed Charles wouldn’t be the one on guard duty. Not yet ready to face the man.

“Who’s there?!” a voice rang out. Arthur instantly recognized it as Bill’s.

“It’s Arthur!’ He shouted back.

“Howdy,” Bill grumbled as Arthur got closer. His eyebrows shot up when he noticed the small girl with him.

“The hell Morgan?! What’s with the kid?”

Arthur felt Bea press into him nervously while he slowed Luna down until she was stopped in front of Bill.

He gave a slightly annoyed sigh, “Beatrice this is Bill, Bill this is Beatrice.”

He then continued along while Bill made confused noises behind him. He didn't much feel like explaining himself to Bill at the moment. No, there were two specific people he needed to tell first. 

“Don’t mind him, he’s always grumpy,” Arthur said playfully to Beatrice which made her smile and relax slightly. 

As they made it to the hitching post Arthur became considerably more nervous. He knew he needed to tell Dutch and Hosea first. And hopefully before they noticed something was up.

He dismounted and looked around only to see that no one was really paying attention to his return. Charles was also nowhere to be seen, though Taima was there. He went to lift Bea down and could see her eyes were big and wandering as she took in the camp and everyone moving about. Her eyes eventually stopped their scanning and seemed to focus on something.

Arthur followed her gaze and could see a pair of eyes staring back at her.

Of course the boy would notice his arrival when no one else did. And the way Jack and Bea continued staring at each other in awe would be almost comical if it wasn’t so sad. Was this the first time either of them had seen another kid their age? Surely Bea would have seen other kids in the city, but from the inside looking out.

He watched as Jack suddenly decided to run in another direction which confused Arthur but he brushed off the weird reaction and moved to get Bea down.

Jack couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his Uncle Arthur return home with kid. After gawking at the little girl and realizing she wasn’t a figment of his imagination, he ran to his mother and started tugging on her skirt.

“Ma! There’s a girl here!”

“That’s nice Jack,” Abigail responded absentmindedly while cleaning the dirty dishes.

“No Ma! Uncle Arthur brought another kid home! Can I go play with her?”

“Not now Jack, I’ll play later,” Abigail responded blankly.

Jack huffed in frustration. Well if she wasn’t going to listen he had more important things to do.

He ran up to Arthur just as he was setting Bea on the ground.

“Uncle Arthur!” Jack shouted as he stopped just a foot or two away from Bea. The two once again engaged in a starting contest.

“Hey Jack! I got someone for you to meet.”

He knelt down behind Bea and placed a hand on her back, “This is Beatrice, my...daughter. Beatrice, this is Jack.”

He stepped back and watched as the two children stared in awe at each other before Jack gave her a nervous little wave and a “hi” which Bea responded with her own nervous “hi.”

Arthur considered stepping in when the conversation seemed to die there, but then Jack shouted, “Wanna catch frogs with me?!”

“I’ve never caught frogs before,” Bea said with cautious interest.

“It’s fun! I’ll show you!” Jack grabbed Bea’s hand and gave a tug to have her follow. But she stood her ground and looked up to Arthur for permission. He gave her a reassuring smile and motioned for her to go along with Jack. She smiled back and returned Jack’s grasp with equal excitement and the two started running towards the shoreline with Arthur yelling after them to stay close to camp. 

His face broke into a warm smile at the two kids laughing together and getting to be…well, kids. His eyes followed their trail, trying to see if anyone noticed the extra child yet. They ran past Strauss working at his desk who looked up at their noisy laughter then back down to his book. His head suddenly whipped back up in a comical double-take. He looked around the camp in confusion before he met eyes with Arthur who waved him off with a “don’t worry about it” gesture. Strauss gave him an odd look before reluctantly returning to his task.

Other than him, no one else had noticed Bea. Yet. It was a matter of time before a more boisterous member of the gang noticed her, then the news would spread like wildfire in a matter of minutes.

He hurriedly looked around camp for Dutch and Hosea. The nervous feeling roaring back into his stomach.

Dutch was hanging around his tent reading a book and Hosea was just a few feet away at a table reading the newspaper.

Arthur took a deep breath and walked their way.

“Hey son,” Hosea greeted cheerfully as Arthur approached.

“Hosea,” he greeted back less cheerfully. “I-I need to speak with you. In private. You and Dutch.”

At the mention of his name Dutch looked up from his book.

Arthur repeated himself and the trio made their way to Dutch’s tent. His father figure’s throwing confused glances at each other on the way.

After shooing poor Molly out, Dutch closed the flaps to his tent so they could have a little more privacy.

“So, Arthur, what’s this about?” Dutch asked skeptically.

Arthur removed his hat and fiddled with it as an almost guilty look washed over his face. It reminded Hosea of when Arthur was a teenager and he did something he knew was wrong. It was something he hadn’t done in a long time and it almost filled Hosea with a sense of nostalgia seeing him so nervous like this.

“Arthur.” Hosea’s stern voice urged him to speak up.

Arthur took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “You both remember Mary?”

The two older men looked surprised at the mention of Arthur’s old flame.

“Mary…Gillis?” Hosea asked.

Arthur nodded.

Dutch huffed angrily.

“You mean the Mary Gillis that left you for another man and broke your heart? That Mary? What, you went to see her in Valentine and now you’re in love with her again? That it?” Dutch mocked.

Arthur was shocked at Dutch’s reaction. _How did he know he saw her in Valentine?_

“No.” Arthur responded assertively, trying his best not to lose his cool.

He schooled his facial features before continuing, “Sh-she passed away last night. Cancer.”

“Oh Arthur…I’m sorry. I know you two weren’t…well…on the best of terms. But I know you cared about her.”

“Bad business.” Dutch agreed but offered no other consoling words.

“Right, well…the thing is I went to see her yesterday.” Arthur shifted uncomfortably. “Right before she passed, I mean. And we talked about what happened all those years ago and well…”

The two men waited impatiently for him to continue.

“Well what, Arthur?” Dutch was getting frustrated.

“Well…” Arthur continued. “Turns out there weren’t no other man after all. Her father forced her to lie and leave me after he found out she was…that I had….” he huffed in frustration at himself. And Dutch looked as equally frustrated as he felt.

“She was pregnant.” He finally stated bluntly and sat heavily on Dutch’s cot. “With my child.”

Hosea and Dutch both wore shocked faces, rendered speechless. So, Arthur continued.

“I didn’t know until last night. But…yeah. She was pregnant. Her father threatened _my life_ so she would keep it a secret. She went through her pregnancy _alone_. She gave birth to our daughter _alone_. And she’s been raisin’ her and carin’ for her _alone_. All these years without me to help. And now she’s just…gone.” He hung his head in defeat.

He felt a comforting hand grip his shoulder. He knew it was Dutch’s from the feeling of his cold rings pressing through his shirt.

“My God, son. That’s…” he trailed off but Hosea stepped in when his silence stretched on too long.

“Y-you have a daughter?”

Arthur looked up and saw the soft, hopeful smile on Hosea’s face.

He returned the gesture with his own soft smile, “Yeah. Her name is Beatrice. Beatrice Morgan.”

“After your mother?” Hosea’s smile widened and Arthur nodded.

Dutch gave him another pat on the shoulder before moving away with a far off look in his eyes.

“Well then. What are you going to do about it now?” he asked blankly. Arthur could sense the unhappiness in his voice. Clearly afraid of the answer.

“I already did it.” Arthur answered.

Before the two other men could form a response a loud commotion outside the tent tore their attention away.

John walked towards the lake shore to enjoy his smoke with some peace and quiet. He stood at the edge of camp, staring out at the water, blowing smoke and listening to the soft creak of the dock as the water swayed back and forth against it.

After a few minutes he heard a giggle nearby. He immediately recognized it as Jack’s which was confirmed when the boy suddenly came into view, chasing a frog that was hopping steadily towards John. He continued smoking, and watching what the kid was doing with an uninterested look. Silently hoping the boy wouldn’t ask him to play with him.

His head snapped up at the sound of another, unfamiliar giggle, behind Jack. It’s not that the new laughter sounded menacing in any way. But John knew the laughs, cries, and voices of everyone in camp. And this one was new, which immediately set off alarm bells in his head.

Not a moment later a little blonde head popped into view. “Look Jack! I got one! They’re so slippery!”

He watched as a random little girl in a blue dress ran up to Jack. The two children meeting together to look at the critter in the girl’s hand.

John’s mouth fell open and his now forgotten cigarette fell to the sandy shore. He looked around to see if anyone else saw what was happening. A million thoughts started running through his head. Who was she? How does she know Jack’s name? Is her family nearby having a picnic or something and she wondered off?

His thoughts then turned to the safety of the camp. If this little girl happened to just wonder into camp then they could be in serious trouble of being found by outsiders.

He frantically looked around again. Dutch’s tent was closed…weird. It wasn’t normally closed during the day.

He then heard Abigail calling Jack’s name nearby. Obviously looking for the boy. He quickly called her over.

“John,” she greeted. “You seen the boy?”

John nodded. “Yeah I seen him. But, I think we might have a bit of a problem.”

He pointed towards the two kids playing nearby. Abigail followed his finger and once she saw what he was talking about her eyes blew wide open.

“Wha-!”

“Yeah. That was my reaction. What happened, you spit out another kid while I wasn’t lookin’?” John joked.

Abigail made an offended noise and gave John a smack upside the head.

“Hey! I was only jokin’!” he rubbed the spot where she hit him.

Abigail ignored him and yelled over to Jack, “Jack! Come here please!”

Jack looked up at his mother’s voice and smiled when he saw both his parents standing there. He grabbed Bea’s hand and ushered her over to Abigail and John.

“Ma! Pa! This is my new friend!”

They both looked down at the girl whose curiously familiar eyes looked them up and down questionably.

“If you’re Jacks parents, then you must be John and Abigail!” she finally said proudly.

The two adults gave each other equally confused looks before they returned their attention to the strange girl.

“What’s your name sweetie?” Abigail tried to come across calm but on the inside she was freaking the hell out.

“Beatrice, but people call me Bea sometimes.”

“Okay…what’s your last name?”

“Williams,” she responded simply, but then made a funny face, “No wait. That was my pretend name. My real last name is Morgan.”

John and Abigail looked at each other once more with shocked faces.

“N-not our Morgan right?” Abigail asked nervously.

“Ya!” Jack yelled. “She’s Uncle Arthur’s daughter! He told me so!”

“WHAT?!” both John and Abigail shouted at the same time which scared Bea slightly.

“What’s all the commotion?” Karen asked as she walked towards them.

“Arthur’s got a fucking kid!” John yelled in disbelief then received another smack from Abigail.

“What?!” Karen yelled which caught Sean’s attention. 

Then before they knew it John, Abigail, Karen, Sean, Javier, Lenny, Uncle, and Tilly were crowding around the two kids asking a million questions a minute and making a fuss over the newcomer.

Dutch poked his head out of the tent to see what all the fuss was about. Hosea following suit. They looked down the shore at the small gathering, yelling over each other about something. Arthur’s name was clearly being repeated. It was when Dutch laid eyes on what seemed to be the center of attention, did he realize what Arthur meant by “I already did it.”

“You brought her here?!” he whipped back around to Arthur.

“I didn’t have no other choice,” Arthur stood and tried reasoning with the clearly angry man.

“Why couldn’t she stay with the rest of Mary’s family, huh? We don’t need another mouth to feed Arthur!”

Arthur stepped back in disbelief. Fists clenching angrily at his side.

“Calm down Dutch,” Hosea interjected. “She’s his _daughter_ for Christ’s sake.”

Arthur couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Mary had no other family that could take care of her. Her piece of shit father even tried to get rid of Beatrice by _selling_ her to some creep who was gonna do God know what to her! The only reason that didn’t happen was because I was there last night to stop it! Mary’s dying wish was for our daughter to stay with me and I sure as hell wasn’t going to argue with that. I’ve already missed the first 6 years of her life, I won’t miss anymore. And I won’t leave her with someone who might not be able to keep her safe!”

Dutch scoffed, “Oh and you think it’s smart to have her here? With a bunch of outlaws? How are _you_ going to take care of her?”

“What? Marston can have his kid around but I can’t have mine?” Arthur threw back, getting closer to Dutch’s face to challenge him.

“John. Has. Abigail.” Dutch stated simply and also moved closer to get in Arthur’s face. “Jack has his mother to take care of him. Which means John can focus on workin’ without gettin’ distracted all the time. The girl’s mother is gone. How are you going to be able to help this gang survive when you got a kid to look after by yourself hm?”

Hosea suddenly stepped between Arthur and Dutch. “That is enough Dutch! You know damn well this gang is capable of looking after one little girl. Another mouth to feed you say? Well if you seem to recall, we were supposed to have three more mouths to feed but we lost them after that damn Blackwater disaster that you and Micah caused! ‘Feed 'em as need feeding right?’ You’re really going to turn away a child? _Arthur’s_ child???”

The tent stayed silent after Hosea’s tirade. After having nothing else to say, Dutch huffed angrily and sneered at Hosea before backing off and sitting down in defeat. “No. I guess I won’t. Y-you’re right Hosea.”

Hosea nodded and hmphed in victory. He turned towards Arthur and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You did the right thing son. She will be safe here with us. And you’re not alone in taking care of her. It takes a village, right?”

Arthur nodded slightly. “I just…it’s what Mary wanted. It’s what _I_ want. She had no where else to go. No one else to take care of her. And even if she did…I couldn’t just abandon her. Not like that. Not after what happened to…”

He took a shuddered breath and Hosea squeezed his shoulder in comfort. Knowing what he was going to say.

“Not after what happened to Isaac, I can’t…I-I just like knowing she’s where I can protect her. You know?”

“I know son. I promise, that won’t happen again, okay?”

“No. It won’t,” Dutch agreed and stood up to squeeze Arthur’s other shoulder.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. And I won’t slip on my duties to the gang. I promise.”

“You just worry about your girl for now alright? You’ve been carrying too much weight from this gang anyhow. It’s time some of those other boys did some more work around here.”

Dutch looked like he wanted to argue with that, but shockingly held back. Probably too afraid of Hosea if Arthur had to admit.

Arthur sighed. “Sh-she actually looks like him a bit. Like Isaac.” He had to hold back a choke every time he said his boy’s name. The introduction of Bea into his life was bringing back all those feelings, those memories of Isaac that he tried so hard to forget about. If only to numb the pain of losing him.

“Well, she’s got her brother looking out for her from heaven. No doubt about that. Now c’mon, I think it’s time we met this little lady,” Hosea smiled warmly.

Arthur nodded and moved outside the tent. He looked over and could see half the damn camp was berating his poor child. Her eyes darting frantically between everyone when they threw question after question at her, and each other.

“Hey!” Arthur barked at them which made them all immediately stop. “Leave my kid alone you degenerates! C’mere Bea!”

The little girl looked relieved to see her father and ran away from the crowd as quickly as possible. Clutching onto Arthur’s leg when she reached him.

The others turned their attention towards Arthur and started throwing questions at him as well.

“Everything will be explained soon. But until then, mind your business!” Arthur yelled angrily then ushered himself and Bea inside.

“A bunch of vulture’s ain’t they darlin’?” Arthur asked Bea as he picked her up so she was eye level with Dutch and Hosea.

Hosea’s face broke into a big smile at seeing the girl up close for the first time.

“Well who do we have here?” Dutch asked Bea warmly. Turning on the old Dutch charm like a switch. As if he wasn’t screaming not 5 minutes ago about how unhappy he was she was here.

“Beatrice, this is who I was telling you about. This is Dutch and Hosea.”

“It’s very nice to meet you my dear. Dutch Van der Linde, at your service,” Dutch introduced himself with an oh so familiar charismatic smile plastered on his face like a mask. 

Hosea’s smile was much more authentic, and downright jubilant. “Hello there young lady. I’m Hosea, and I must say I am very excited to meet you. We’ve known your Pa for a long time you know.”

“I know,” Bea responded. “My daddy said that after his daddy died you became his new daddies.”

Dutch chortled behind his hand at being referred to as one of Arthur’s “daddies” and Hosea didn’t even try to hide his laugh as Arthur’s face turned almost tomato red.

“N-now that’s not what I said exactly…I…Hosea quit laughin’!”

“Heh I’m sorry son,” he wiped a tear away and cleared his throat to gain back a bit of composure. “Well, you’re not completely wrong missy. Dutch and I looked after your Pa since he was still pretty young. Taught him everything he knows.”

Dutch nodded in agreement while looking at Bea with a contemplative look.

“Well,” he drawled as he gazed at Beatrice’s face. “Ain’t no doubt you belong to our boy here. Especially with those _eyes_.”

Hosea hummed in agreement. “Who would have thought something so cute and pretty could come from Arthur hm?” Which made Bea giggle and Arthur give a whiney “hey!”

Hosea reached up and pinched Arthur’s cheek, “Oh! I’m sorry son. You’re cute and pretty too.” Which made Arthur growl and Bea laugh even harder.

Dutch laughed along before deciding to settle everyone down. “Alright, alright. Guess we should introduce the camp to it’s newest member before they tear down this tent demanding answers.”

“Alright,” Arthur grumbled. “What should we say?”

“You just let me do the talkin’.” Dutch said with obvious suave.

“Don’t I always?” Arthur shot back with a smirk.

“Ha ha, very funny Arthur.” Then Dutch exited the side of the tent facing the middle of camp. Hosea following, along with Arthur who was still holding Bea.

“You ready darlin’? Dutch is gonna tell everyone you’re part of the family now. But you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to okay? They can be a little much, I know.”

“Okay,” Bea nodded. “Can I go play with Jack again?”

Arthur smiled at that. “In a minute.”

Soon Dutch was standing on his ‘speech box’ making an announcement to the camp to gather around.

They seemed to flock in record time considering most of them already knew something was up.

“Everyone! We have some exciting news! We have a new member joining us!” The small crowd started murmuring with each other, some throwing glances towards Arthur and Bea.

“Turns out our Arthur here is a father to this lovely young lady, and she will be staying with us from now on. Now, if you want to know the specifics, you’ll have to ask the man himself. But he don’t owe anyone an explanation if he don’t want to give one. Regardless, I know we will all work together to welcome her with open arms! Now Arthur, why don’t you introduce everyone to our newest member,” Dutch gestured to the father-daughter pair and all eyes fell on them.

Arthur cleared his throat nervously. “Everyone this is my daughter, Beatrice. Beatrice…this is everyone…” he said awkwardly.

Some of the members offered her greetings, while others started talking secretly among themselves. However, all of their gazes remained fixed on Bea who started curling in on herself under all the attention. She clutched tighter to Arthur then whipped her head away from the gang and buried it in Arthur’s shoulder.

Arthur rubbed his hand along her back soothingly. “She’s uh…kinda shy,” he responded with his own shyness.

He looked out among the many faces of the gang, trying to ascertain everyone’s reactions. Most of the women seemed to be swooning and/or smiling. The men sported a mix of shocked and disgusted looks. But, it was when his gaze shifted towards the back of the crowd did his heart skip a beat and his hand on Bea’s back freeze.

Charles was standing the furthest away, but still close enough to hear. His eye’s bore straight into Arthur’s. His face was…frustratingly unreadable. After maintaining eye contact for an unknown amount of time Charles finally twitched his mouth into a small, half smile. However, it looked more like a grimace to Arthur. But that could just be him getting into his own head too much.

His attention was drawn away when he felt Bea’s dress being tugged underneath his hand. He looked down to see Jack who was clutching the bottom of her dress.

“Uncle Arthur can Beatrice play again?” he asked innocently, and Bea’s head whipped around at the sound of Jack’s voice.

“Sure,” Arthur relinquished his daughter to the ground once more and the kids were gone before he could even blink.

He heard Dutch say a few more things before the small gathering dispersed. Some members throwing glances at Arthur like they wanted to come up and ask him questions, but ultimately deciding now wasn’t the best time.

Arthur noticed Charles had retreated to the horses and he started to make a beeline towards him. Only to get stopped by Miss Grimshaw.

“Mr. Morgan! Well, I can honestly say this was the last thing I expected from you. But…I’m happy for you dear. You’ll be a great Pa, I know it.”

Arthur’s cheeks flushed, “I guess….Well, we’ll see I guess,” he relented. “Oh and Susan, can you do me a favor? Can you find a way to add a little more privacy to my tent? Make it a little more comfortable for Beatrice?”

“Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you!” Arthur called after her as she started walking away. She waved her hand in return.

With that taken care of, Arthur started towards the horses again. But he suddenly realized Charles was out of sight once more. Still he continued on his path, looking around for the missing man.

He walked up to Luna who still had Bea’s bag strapped to her. He started removing it when a hand suddenly appeared on Luna’s neck which startled Arthur enough to flinch slightly.

Charles chuckled lightly at his reaction. “Need some help with that?” he asked while petting Luna’s neck.

Arthur stared at him dumbstruck while holding Bea’s bag in his hands.

“Charles I…” he started, ignoring Charles’ question. “I’m sorry, this…I-I didn’t know...”

Charles shushed him gently. “Not here.” He leaned in close and told Arthur to meet him in an area just outside of camp in half an hour. Then he was gone.

Arthur dropped off Bea’s bag in his tent and looked around camp to see where his daughter got off too.

He eventually spotted the two children. It seemed Jack had taken it upon himself to introduce Bea to every member of the gang individually. And at lightning speed.

He watched as Jack dragged her up to Lenny, told Bea who he was then dragged her away again before Lenny could even form a response. Then repeated the same thing with Sean and Tilly.

Arthur felt the presence of someone standing next to him all of a sudden. He didn’t even have to look over to know who it was.

“Marston,” he greeted his brother.

“So…” John began awkwardly. “A kid huh?”

“Yup,” Arthur sighed.

“And she came from where exactly?”

Arthur thought about saying ‘Saint Denis’ just to be cocky, but he knew what John was really asking and there was no point skirting around the truth. Their relationship may be strained but John was still his brother. Still one of the longest people he’s known in his life. And he knew he could trust him with the truth.

“Mary,” Arthur mumbled.

“What was that?” John asked.

“Mary,” Arthur said louder. “Her mother was Mary. And I say ‘was’ because she passed away last night. Hence why Beatrice is here now.”

“Mary? This that same Mary that cheated…”

“It weren’t like that,” Arthur interrupted him. “Her father made her break things off with me after he found out she was pregnant. Made her lie to me. I didn’t even know we had a daughter until yesterday.”

“Damn,” John muttered. Then a few seconds later, “You sure she’s your kid?”

Arthur turned to him slowly with a pissed-off "seriously" look. “Unlike _you_ Marston, I actually take responsibility for the children I father.”

John huffed back in annoyance. “I’m just sayin Arthur! Wasn’t she married to another guy at one point?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Ya. _After_ Beatrice was already born. She’s mine you idiot.”

“Ya well, I guess she does look like you,” John admitted.

“She actually…” Arthur paused. “She actually looks a little like Isaac.”

“Oh.” John turned away, not quite sure what to say to that. He knew of Arthur’s now deceased son but it’s not something the two ever talked about.

“Anyways,” Arthur cleared his throat. “I gotta go…do something.” He gestured behind him.

“Gonna go talk to Charles?”

Arthur gave him a confused look. _How did he know?_

“I saw him walk off a few minutes ago. Figured you two were gonna talk about all this stuff. Don’t think I don’t see what’s going on between you two.”

“Well, aren’t you observant?” Arthur’s tone dripped with annoyance.

“Guess I am,” John smirked.

“Well since you’re so observant, why don’t you _observe_ your son and my daughter and make sure those two don’t get into no trouble. I smell mischief on the horizon with those kids.”

“Hey as long as she’s playing with Jack, Abigail won’t bug me to do it.”

Arthur gave John a smack upside the head. His third one in less than an hour in fact. “Play with your damn kid Marston, Christ.” Then he walked off.

He reached the spot Charles told him to meet him at. The man already waiting for him.

“Hey,” Arthur greeted nervously.

“Hey,” Charles responded. Walking up to Arthur. “So…definitely wasn’t expecting that.”

Arthur gave a dry laugh, “Ha well, same for you, me, and everyone else.”

Charles laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “What happened?” he asked softly.

Arthur looked him in the eyes. They were so soft and caring. So…trustworthy. They felt like home.

He took a deep breath and retold Charles everything that happened since he left him the morning before. Choking back tears throughout moments in his story.

At the end of it all Charles pulled Arthur into a comforting embrace. “Oh Arthur. I’m sorry.”

Arthur melted into the embrace for a moment before pulling back.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for Charles. None of it was your doing.”

I know but…It’s just…you lost the life you could have had with Mary. You could have gone through with your plan and married her. Raise your daughter together. You were supposed to have a life with her, and your daughter. And it was all ruined by a lie. I-I’m sorry.”

Arthur shook his head. “No Charles, that don’t matter anymore. I mean, even if we got away maybe we could have had a decent life. Maybe I could have been a decent man, and we could have been happy. Or maybe I wouldn’t have been able to give up my outlaw ways, come crawling back to the gang or find myself at the end of a noose with no one to pull my ass out. Maybe we were too different from the start to ever have a proper life together. Maybe Mary still woulda got sick and died. Maybe…”

Arthur huffed. “Maybe’s don’t matter. What matters is now. And what matters to me now is my daughter, this gang, and you…” he finished with a whisper then leaned forward to kiss Charles.

But a pair of strong hands held him back. Arthur opened his eyes and was met with a regretful look on Charles’ face.

“Arthur I…” he trailed off sadly and Arthur’s heart sank. He didn’t want him anymore? Or maybe he thought Arthur couldn’t handle being in a relationship knowing he has a daughter?

“Charles…I meant what I said yesterday. That no matter what happened with Mary, it wouldn’t change nothing between us.”

“I know Arthur,” Charles squeezed his arms. “I know,” he repeated. “But, you have to think of your daughter first and foremost. This…this isn’t a good idea.”

Arthur couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Wha- what do you mean? This doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“It doesn’t for me either Arthur, but…well you remember telling me about those two men who were hung in Valentine? That one had a wife and child? You remember saying that…even if that were us, at least we wouldn’t be leaving a family behind?”

Arthur remembered. And the way his devastated eyes looked into Charles’ showed he knew exactly what the man was getting at.

“You have a daughter now Arthur. She already lost one parent and she needs her father around. You don’t need one more reason to be killed. Please Arthur, I’m just trying to do what’s best for her. For both of you.”

“Charles this…this isn’t what I wanted…” Arthur looked defeated. Failing to come up with the right words to fix this. To change the other man’s mind.

He felt Charles kiss him tenderly on the cheek. “I know Arthur. I’m sorry. But this doesn’t mean I’m going away. I’m still right here for you. We can still be friends. We just…shouldn’t be taking things too far anymore.”

 _Too far_ , the voice in Arthur’s head mocked. He hung his head as his heart shattered inside his chest. He didn’t even know it was capable of doing that anymore.

“C’mon,” Charles pulled away. “We should get back.”

Arthur didn’t respond. Just started back towards camp. Charles right behind him. No other words spoken between the two.

As soon as they made it back, two out-of-breath kids were at their feet.

“Hi Uncle Arthur!” Jack yelled. Just a giant ball of energy at this point.

Before a dejected Arthur could respond Jack pointed at Charles and told Bea, “And this is Uncle Charles! He’s a good hunter!”

The men raised a brow at the boy. Both wondering when Charles became _Uncle_ Charles?

Bea gave Charles a cheerful ‘hi!’ before they were on to the next person, who just so happened to be Micah.

“This is Micah,” Jack said with much less enthusiasm than with Charles. Then quickly moved on. At least Jack didn’t start calling him _Uncle_ Micah. The thought of that made Arthur sick to his stomach. 

“She has your eyes,” Charles remarked softy. When Arthur snapped his head up, Charles was already walking away.

He watched the back of Charles’ form fade further and further away from him. Each step ripping a new hole in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…ya poor Arthur. Gained a daughter but lost a boyfriend :( (for now)
> 
> And yes, I wrote Dutch to be kind of a dick because well…he kind of is one at this point in the game lol. And he seems pretty possessive over Arthur, or rather what Arthur can do for him which is like…everything. 
> 
> Also, I know the timing of this fic isn’t really canon. If I’m not mistaken Eliza and Isaac happen after him and Mary break up. But in this fic he has Isaac first. 
> 
> P.S. I luv John so much. I know him and Arthur probably wouldn't be this close, this early in the game but I love their brotherhood so much I just have to make them love each other.


	11. Adjusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…first let me start off by apologizing for the long wait for a new chapter. Life is just really busy for me and I find it hard to find time to write. Also, this happened three times where my laptop updated overnight without my knowledge and I lost a good 1-2 hours of work every time. Very frustrating. But, I still love working on this fic and am dedicated to seeing it through.
> 
> Also, I feel like the tags need to be cleaned up a bit so I might be doing that soon in case anyone notices the change.
> 
> ALSO, I made a Tumblr account so I could post the chapters there and follow, like, comment, etc. other RDR content. If anyone is interested here is the link: https://rdr-addict.tumblr.com/
> 
> It’s nothing special, and pretty basic right now. I don’t really plan on doing anything crazy with it since I’m not very Tumblr-savy, and I probs won’t be too active on it. But I figured it would be nice to have a space to post new chapters on Tumblr and check out fan art and such.

The first few days of having Bea around camp were rough if Arthur had to admit it.

On top of dealing with his feelings of rejection from Charles, Arthur had to grow accustomed to being a single father. Which was not something he ever would have imagined would happen to him.

He felt lucky though, as Bea was a rather easy child to manage. She listened well and spent most of her time playing with Jack around camp. She was still shy around most of the gang members except for a select few including Jack (obviously), Hosea, Abigail, and to Arthur’s surprise Molly and Kieran.

He had seen his daughter gravitate towards the Irish woman on more than one occasion saying she liked her dress, or her hair, or her jewelry. And Molly seemed more than happy to have her attention. Arthur would sometimes hear her telling Bea about her homeland and her family. He suspected Molly probably reminded Bea of Mary in a way which was comforting for the young girl. Molly was more of a societal woman after all. More the kind of woman Bea was used to being around.

Her fixation towards Kieran was more of a surprise to Arthur. Though it seemed she was more interested in the horses than the man himself. Still, she would chat idly with him about what each of the horses names were and their favorite treats. Kieran seemed happy to have someone to talk to, especially when he was so passionate about the horses themselves. Though he stuttered more often than not when he realized Arthur was glaring at him the entire time he talked to Bea, daring him to make one wrong move. Of course he didn’t though. The kid was scared of his own shadow.

And speaking of horses, Bea would beg Arthur at least once a day to let her feed Luna some treats and to go on ride. Arthur allowed her to feed Luna a few peppermints here and there but when Bea asked for a ride he always answered with a, “Maybe later.” He wasn’t to keen on letting her leave camp just yet. She was much safer surrounded by the gang. She always accepted his answer with no fuss, but Arthur could see the disappointed look in her eyes which made him feel guilty.

He spent most of his time making sure she was acclimating properly and never feeling too uncomfortable. He let her follow him around while he did chores if she was in the mood to be close to him. He even started calling her his little bumble-Bea, or bumblebee, which quickly became his preferred name for her.

There were a few moments when he had some alone time that he would pull out Mary’s journal. Though he couldn’t quite bring himself to dive into it too much. Nor look at the rest of the photos in the back. He was too afraid it would make him upset that he missed so much of her life. That he was lied to for all those years. So, he usually would flip to a random page, read one or two lines ( _Bea tried peaches for the fist time today_ or _Bea’s favorite toy is her blue rattle)_ then he would slam the journal closed and shove it back into his satchel.

Though things were mostly going well, they still had their rough moments.

Sleeping for one, had been a challenge Arthur did not expect. Susan did a great job with making his lean-to into a nice closed off tent. She even angled the canvas so it was more roomy inside. She also shifted his things around and was able to place Mac’s old bedroll next to his cot. While Arthur was sure Susan meant for Bea to use the bedroll, he initially decided to give Bea the cot and use the bedroll himself. More so he wouldn’t accidently step on his own child when getting up in the morning, since he often rose early to get some chores done.

That was the idea anyway.

The first night Bea barely slept a wink because the unfamiliar noises of nature kept her awake. She had never slept so exposed before and that made her anxious. After an hour of trying to brave through the new scary noises, she eventually slipped off the cot and joined Arthur on the bedroll. Her movements shocked him awake and after failing to get his daughter back in her own bed he relented and let her curl up next to him for the night. Then the following night. Then Arthur thought they could try switching beds but he still somehow ended up with her curled up to him on his cot. It was a losing battle no matter what he tried.

He didn't have the heart to try and force her to stay in her own bed though. Not while she was still dealing with the loss of her mother, and her life being completely flipped upside down. He would give her as much comfort as she wanted. 

In addition to that, he was constantly ribbed by some of the other men in camp about having a kid. Saying that the way he acted with her made him soft. Bill and Micah were especially irritating, and Arthur had no problem reminding them that his punches wouldn’t hurt any less just because he had a daughter.

By the fifth day he was ready for a break from it all. He hadn’t taken on any jobs outside of camp since Bea arrived because he wanted to keep an eye on her. But now she seemed comfortable enough to go without him for a few hours and he was itchin’ to get for a while. Plus he wanted to prove to Dutch he wasn’t useless and could still take on work.

It was in the late morning on Bea’s sixth day in camp that Arthur was chopping wood near the lakeshore. Bea and Jack were once again playing together so he wasn’t worried about what she was up to. While chopping he couldn’t help but gaze around camp every few moments, particularly towards one spot. Charles was sitting off a ways near the main campfire. His back facing Arthur as he worked on something that was out of view.

Every time Arthur’s eyes roamed over to where Charles was sitting, he felt a pang in his chest. They hadn’t spoken since the day Arthur brought Bea home. Charles even left for two days on a supposed hunting trip, even though he only brought back a few rabbits.

It hurt. It hurt that they no longer spoke to each other, laughed with each other…touched each other. Charles told him they could still be friends, act like they did before they started whatever it was between them. Yet, they barely interacted at all since that day Charles pushed him away.

With that depressing thought, Arthur finished splitting their wood pile. He looked around to find some other chore to do since it seemed like it was the most useful thing he could be doing right now.

However, a screaming match between Mrs. Adler and Pearson stole his attention. After barely preventing Mrs. Adler from stabbing Pearson to death, Arthur suggested they take a ride to Rhodes so she could cool off. It was actually a good idea for him as well considering he was going crazy staying in camp.

Mrs. Adler agreed easily enough and her and Arthur started making their way to one of the wagons. However, they were stopped short by a scowling Miss Grimshaw who was holding Beatrice by her tiny wrist in an almost death grip.

Arthur knew that grip well and was pondering if it was worth saving his own child from the woman if it meant he would be at the mercy of her legendary wrath.

“Mr. Morgan!”

_Too late._

“H-hey Susan. There a problem?” He looked back down to Bea who looked up at him pitifully. Her eyes seemed to scream _help me!_ up at her father.

“Well I should say so. Have you even looked at your daughter recently?” Arthur gave her a confused look. He always kept an eye on Bea and spent many hours of the day with her.

“Uh…”

“She’s a mess Arthur! Her hair ain’t been brushed in days and look at the state of her dress! She’s coated in dirt! When was the last time she had a wash?”

Arthur inspected his daughter who was now scowling adorably and realized everything Susan said was true. But still…she’s a kid. Aren’t kids supposed to messy?

“Well shi- I mean shoot, Susan. Her and little Jackie been playing around in the dirt and whatnot. Ain’t nothing to get so ornery over. Let them kids have their fun.”

Miss Grimshaw huffed angrily.

“That ain’t no way for a young lady to act Arthur.”

Sadie scoffed loudly next to him but luckily for her, Grimshaw kept her attention on Arthur.

“Playing in the dirt and mud…her dresses are too nice to be getting roughed up like this! Nicer than you can afford to replace I’m sure. What she should be doin’ is learnin’ from the other ladies how to sew or knit. Never too early to learn some valuable life skills.”

Bea scrunched her face up in displeasure at Susan’s suggestion. “But I wanna keep playing with Jack!”

“C’mon Susan...” Arthur started to plead.

“What in the hell is wrong with you?” Sadie’s irritated tone interrupted him.

“Excuse me?” Susan’s voice turned low and dangerous. She let go of Bea’s wrist who quickly rushed to hide behind Arthur whose heart was now pounding in fear.

“I said…”

This Adler woman was crazy Arthur decided. Crazy, or didn’t care if she lived or died.

“What in the hell is wrong with you? She’s just a little kid for Christ’s sakes. You let the boy play in the mud all he wants so why can’t she? Just cause she’s a _lady?_ She’s a child who deserves to play however she wants without some old maid nagging in her ear about keeping dirt off her pretty little dresses.” She ended with a mocking tone.

Arthur swore he could see steam coming out of Grimshaw’s ears. “How _dare_ you? You will show me some respect Mrs. Adler! This is my camp and I’ll say what rules are to be followed! But since you’re so insistent, then fine! Have the girl do whatever she wants! But don’t come crying to me when she destroys all of her clothes and grows up feral!”

The fuming woman stomped off and Arthur blew out a breath of relief.

“I don’t like her, she’s mean!” Bea clutched his pants angrily.

Arthur knelt down to her. “I know she seems mean but she cares about ya. Cares about all of us. She just has a funny way of showing it. And maybe she was right about one thing. Maybe its time you start learning some life lessons.”

Arthur looked at his daughter’s dress and started swiping at it to get the dirt off. “Life lesson number one: If you see Miss Grimshaw coming towards you, brush as much dirt off of you as possible. It’s a lesson I learned many years ago and has served me well since.”

Bea laughed as he used his sleeve to try and wipe some dark smudges from her face. “Okay daddy, I’ll try.”

He smiled and stood up. “Good. Now Mrs. Adler and I are going to take a trip into town to get some supplies then we’ll be right back. I expect you’ll behave while I’m gone.”

Bea’s eyes suddenly widened in panic. “You’re leaving?” Her voice shook with fear.

“Just for an hour or two. I’ll be back before you know it.” Arthur tried to placate the young girl but it didn’t seem to work. Her frightened eyes were quickly filling with tears.

“Take me with you!” She pleaded and tugged at his pants.

“Hey now…” Arthur rested his hand on her head. “It’s alright sweetheart. I’ll just be gone for a litt-“

“No! Don’t go daddy!” She was sobbing now.

“Whoa hey!” Arthur knelt back down and wrapped her up in a comforting embrace. “Calm down bumblebee, everything is gonna be just fine. You’ll be plenty safe here in camp with everyone else.”

“But what if you don’t come back?” she cried out.

“Wha-? No I’ll come back. I’ll be back before you even have time to start missin’ me. Promise.”

Bea sniffled and looked him in the eyes to see if he was telling the truth.

“Don’t you worry honey. I’ll keep your daddy plenty safe while we’re out there.” Sadie ruffled the girl’s hair and gave her a warm smile.

“There see? Everything is gonna be just fine.” Arthur kissed her forehead and rose back up to his feet.

“What’s all the fuss about?” Hosea’s voice drifted over to them as he approached with a concerned look on his face.

“Hey Hosea,” Arthur greeted with a sigh of relief. “You mind keeping Bea company while Mrs. Adler and I head into town to pick up some supplies?”

“Why I would be delighted. As a matter of fact, I was just looking for her so she can join my reading lesson with Jack.”

“Well there you go. You go sit with Hosea and Jack a while and I’ll come check on you as soon as I get back.”

“I think that sounds like a great plan. C’mon missy,” Hosea held his hand out for Bea and after giving Arthur one last sad look she took it and muttered, “okay.”

Arthur gave her one final farewell before Hosea led her away and him and Sadie headed for the wagon.

“Well that was sweet,” Sadie said as she climbed up the wagon.

“Shut up,” Arthur grumbled as he too settled in his seat.

“I mean it. You’re real good with her. It’s nice to see man actually be sweet on his children.”

Arthur made dismissive tch sound and rolled his eyes. Still, he couldn’t help but give one last glance back at his daughter. He could see Bea watching him right back with a miserable look on her face. He almost hopped off the wagon right then and there.

The idea of leaving her in camp and not knowing if she was okay quickly filled him with anxiety. What if they were attacked by Pinkertons while they were gone? What if he comes back only to find something terrible had happened to her that he could have prevented. Just like… He shook his head. This wasn’t like Isaac. She had the whole gang to protect her. And he would only be gone for a short time. Logically, he knew she would be okay.

But still, he couldn’t stop the feeling of dread in his chest knowing he would have no idea if she was okay while they were on the road.

“C’mon you sap,” Sadie nudged him back to reality and laughed. “She’ll be just fine. Seems like you both need to learn how to get on without each other for a few hours.”

“Alright, alright we’re going.” Arthur turned around and snapped the reins to get them moving.

The ride to Rhodes was relatively quiet excluding the part where they opened Pearson’s letter and had a good laugh at his expense. It was a nice distraction from the anxiousness building steadily within him as they drove further and further from camp.

When they arrived in town Arthur headed to the post office while Sadie went to get the supplies.

When he returned and loaded onto the wagon once more, he was surprised to see her now dressed in pants with a gun belt to boot.

“Got some new clothes I see?”

“Don’t start. I can wear whatever I damn well please. Geez you sound like that old bat Grimshaw.”

Arthur ignored the insult then noticed a package sitting on the bench between them.

“And what’s this then?” he asked her while prodding the package.

“That…” Sadie slapped his hand away, “is a surprise. And not for you.”

“Well fine then…don’t tell me,” Arthur grumbled.

**********

Beatrice was bored. Bored and lonely. Hosea had brought her over to participate in his reading lesson with Jack, but when he soon realized her reading level was far beyond his teachings for the young boy he allowed her to leave and play while a grumpy Jack was forced to endure the lesson. Hosea did warn her though that he would be doing a separate lesson with her afterwards.

Still, with her only friend preoccupied and her father gone, she felt lost in the camp of almost strangers. There were few people she was comfortable approaching. She tended to avoid the rowdier people in camp like Sean and Bill. Their boisterous personalities too much for her to handle right off the bat.

Instead, she gravitated towards those that were more often than not on their own, like Kieran and Molly.

Today though she set her sights on someone else. The big man with the dark hair sitting by the fire. He was almost always sitting alone or even gone from camp all together. While he seemed intimidating at first, Bea always noticed how kind he was to the others and his calm demeanor was inviting.

There was just one problem though. She couldn’t remember the man’s name. There were so many people in her new family and trying to remember everyone’s names was hard.

She chewed her lip in contemplation when another man ( _his name is Javier-ha!),_ walked by and muttered, “Hey Charles,” before continuing on his way.

Now she remembered, his name was Charles! Jack had called him ‘Uncle Charles’ but she wasn’t sure if she should do the same.

So instead, she slowly approached the man and shyly greeted him with a, “Hi, Mr. Charles.”

Charles startled slightly, not used to having people sneak up on him so easily. His heart fluttered when he realized it was Beatrice. She was standing in front of him with her hands clenched together behind her back and rolling on her feet bashfully.

He smiled fondly at her, suddenly feeling nervous about talking to the little girl. He felt foolish for feeling intimidated by her presence, but this was their first real conversation with each other. He had kept a subtle eye on her the last few days to make sure she was okay but never made an attempt to interact with her. He was no expert at interacting with kids and this was no exception. Still, he tried to come across as friendly as possible.

“Hey there Miss Beatrice. How are you today?”

She shrugged and chewed the inside of her cheek slightly. “I’m okay I guess.”

He frowned slightly. “Just okay?”

“Well,” she drawled, “I was supposed to do reading lessons with Jack, but Uncle Hosea said I didn’t need them right now and that he’ll give me a separate lesson later. And my daddy left, but he said he would be back soon.”

Charles hummed at her words. “Ya I noticed he left with Mrs. Adler a little bit ago. Are you upset that he’s gone?”

Charles internally chastised himself for fully admitting he's been secretly watching Arthur to his daughter. 

She nodded her head sadly. “I don’t want him to be gone forever, like…like my mommy. She’s gone and can’t come back. What if he goes away too? I won’t have anyone to take care of me no more and I would be all alone.”

Charles’ heart broke at her words, and her shimmering blue eyes stared up at him filled with worry and sadness.

“Hey now, everyone here is your family and we’ll take care of you no matter what, even if something happens to your father. Promise. But…don’t you worry about that. He is one of the strongest men I know, and he will do anything to make sure he makes it back home to you. You have nothing to worry about alright?”

He felt like a liar telling her that there was nothing to worry about when she lived in a gang of outlaws constantly being chased by the law, Pinkertons, and bounty hunters. Not to mention her father had a pretty sizable bounty on his head. But he couldn’t stand the thought of her dealing with such heavy ideas at such a young age. 

She nodded her heard lightly at his words then shifted her eyes to the item laying across his lap.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Charles looked down to the arrow laying across his legs. He was so caught off guard by the abrupt change of subject that he had nearly forgotten what he was doing before Beatrice approached him.

“Oh, I’ve been improving these arrows with some hawk feathers,” he gestured to the pile of feathers next to him.

“Ohhh,” Beatrice said like his words were some kind of revelation.

“And you use those to go hunting?” She remembered Jack telling her Charles was a hunter.

Charles smiled and nodded. He then picked up his bow which was nearby and held it out to Beatrice so she could look at it.

“I use this bow to shoot my arrows while hunting. They’re quieter than a gun so it doesn’t spook the animals.”

Beatrice ran her hand along the smooth wooden handle with whispered, “whoa.”

Charles then moved the bow vertically, so it was standing up from the ground next to Bea.

“Look, it’s almost the same height as you,” he chuckled.

She giggled then her eyes widened in thought. “Can you show me how you use it?!”

Her excitement quickly turned back into nervousness and she added a quiet, “Please?” to her request.

He huffed in amusement.

“Well I can’t show you here in camp right now. But…maybe one day we can go just outside of camp and I can show you how I shoot an arrow.”

“Really?” she asked hopefully.

“Sure. But, we would need to check with your father first to make sure it’s okay.”

“Okay!”

There was a brief moment of silence before she cocked her head and looked up at him and asked, “Why do you have a feather in your hair?”

Charles subconsciously reached up and ran his fingers over the eagle feather attached to his locks.

“It was my mother’s. Eagle feathers are very sacred in my mother’s culture. It makes me feel close to her and her people, even though she’s gone now.”

“It’s pretty,” Bea said with awe in her voice. “My daddy has a flower in a jar that he keeps because it was his mommy’s favorite.”

“Does he now?” Charles said amused.

“Yup,” she nodded. “I heard him talking about it with Miss Mary-Beth the other day when they played dominos.”

Charles smiled. He had no idea Arthur had such an item in his possession. It made his stomach clench with how much he missed him. He knew he was being unfair to him since he told him they could remain as friends. He avoided him by going hunting and making himself scarce around camp. He still cared deeply for him but figured it would be best to give the other man space so he could focus solely on his daughter and adjusting to fatherhood.

But now their lack of interaction was just painful and left an aching hole in his heart. Maybe it was time they start trying to talk with one another again. With Beatrice here, he knew they couldn’t have what they once did, but that didn’t mean he wanted there to be nothing between them.

The girl was here to stay and Charles would happily accept her into his life if it meant he and Arthur could at least remain friends. Maybe the road back into Arthur’s life was building a bond with Bea too. 

With that thought, he pulled another crate up along side his and padded his hand on it.

“Here. Would you like to help me with these arrows?”

Bea nodded eagerly and scrambled up onto the crate, restlessly awaiting instructions.

Charles smiled warmly and moved his supplies towards her.

“Okay. How about you can hand me each of these items as I ask for it. Does that sound good?”

“Ya!” she quickly scooped the hawk feathers and pieces of string and other various items into neat piles and waited for further instruction.

“Perfect,” Charles beamed.

Charles resumed his work, making sure the sharp end of the arrow was always pointed _away_ from the young child, and would gently ask Bea for each item as he needed it. He allowed her to lean in close so she could watch how he attached the feathers and wound the string around the bow.

She was so absorbed in everything the man was doing and even asked a few questions along the way about different types of feathers and what certain animals were like. 

Charles’ apprehensiveness towards Bea slowly melted away as she continued talking to him. He couldn’t help the warm feeling flooding into his core as the young girl dug deeper and deeper into his heart. He could feel the overwhelming surge to protect her at all costs steadily growing each time she smiled or laughed.

He wasn’t sure if those feelings blossomed due to some primal instinct to care for such a young innocent soul, or if it was more. No, he knew it was more. It was because she was part Arthur. An extension of someone he cared so deeply for. Every time he looked into her eyes he was reminded of that. Reminded of what they had. Her goodness was a reflection of what Arthur was like when he didn’t feel pressure from his responsibilities to the gang. When he could just be himself. He decided right then he should talk to Arthur when he got back from town.

His thoughts drifted back to the present as he felt something soft being nudged at his hand.

“Here you go,” Bea said sweetly as she handed him another hawk feather to add to his arrow.

He gently took it from her fingers and smiled, “Thank you. You’re a really good helper.”

She beamed up at him and his heart melted just a little bit more.

**********

“Seriously, what’s in the package?”

This was the third time Arthur had asked Sadie that question.

“I said it’s none of yer business Morgan!”

“Alright fine!”

Silence settled over them until Sade gave him a sideways glance.

“So…how’s the fatherhood life treatin’ ya? I imagine its quite the adjustment when you have no experience in the matter.”

Arthur gave a tired sigh. He couldn’t quite find the strength to explain the fact that he did indeed have experience in fatherhood. So instead he just mumbled, “Fine, I guess.”

She scoffed. “Well you don’t sound very happy about it.”

“Look, it’s not that I’m not happy, or don’t…love her or nothing like that. It’s just a lot of responsibility and there’s already so much going on with the gang right now. Besides, what kid wants a pa with a bounty on their head, that’s constantly running from the law? She…she deserves better than me for a father.”

Sadie sat in silence before looking at him with an incredulous look.

“You know, just the fact that you’re even worried about being a good father already makes you a good father. There’s far too many kids in this world that grow up as orphans, wishing they could have any sort of parent that cares about ‘em. Outlaw or not. And then there’s those that do have parents who do nothing more than beat and scream at them.”

Arthur frowned as his memories of Lyle surfaced. “So? What exactly are you trying say?”

“What I’m trying to say,” she huffed, “Is that parents who truly care for their children will always want them to have a better life. And that sometimes all a kid really wants, or needs is someone that gives a shit about them. Your daughter would much rather be stuck in a primitive camp with her father who loves her than in a luxurious mansion with someone who couldn’t care less about her.”

Arthur opened his mouth to respond but she continued. 

“So don’t you worry about her deserving a better father or any crap like that. All you have to do is give a damn and you’re already a better father than most. And trust me, I’ve seen the way are with her. She’s got you wrapped around her little finger already.”

Arthur let out a sigh that turned into a light chuckle. “Ya I guess she does.”

“I take it Charles didn’t really take the news well? Noticed you two weren’t talkin’ much.”

Arthur tried to hide his surprise at her words, but he could feel his palms start to sweat and his stomach clench.

“H-how do you mean? Why do you think that Charles would care?”

She gave him a funny look before not so subtly holding back a smirk.

“Oh, no reason,” she said suspiciously.

“Mrs. Adler,” he nearly growled.

“Please call me Sadie,” she taunted him. “And I might have heard from a certain someone that you two was an item. Which I must say I was surprised by both of you on that account. But, I do think you make a mighty fine pair. Won’t find me griping about it if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Arthur grunted. “Let me guess…Marston?”

“Abigail,” she grinned.

“Who no doubt heard it from Marston.” He rolled his eyes. “That man will avidly run away from Abigail if she so much as mentions one thing about him being a father, but as soon as he’s got a hot piece of gossip, he goes runnin’ _to_ her. Tch…unbelievable.”

Sadie laughed at his expense.

“You never really answered my question.”

“About what?”

“About how Charles reacted to you having a kid. You two seem- I don’t know, distant? Ya’ll break things off or what?”

Arthur didn’t see how it was any of her business, but the woman was proving herself to be stubborn, and he knew she would keep asking if he didn’t offer up any information at all.

“He *ahem*…He was the one who didn’t think it was a good idea to continue a relationship with Bea around. Said all it did was put my life in more danger than it already was. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to Bea’s last surviving parent and all. But…he still wants to be friends, I guess.”

Sadie could sense the sadness in his voice and felt terrible for him. No wonder he hadn’t been very cheery as of late.

“That’s just stupid.”

Arthur whipped his head up and gave her a confused look. “Huh?”

“I said that’s stupid. Look. I get that what Charles did was out of concern for you and your daughter. But…your life is already in danger from all the other shit you do as an outlaw. I mean, you’re already on the run and have to hide yourself anyway for robbing and murdering across the country. What difference does it make if you love another man on top of all that? That’s probably the most innocent ‘law’ you could break. You two loving each other poses no greater risk to your life than what’s already there.”

Arthur blushed at her words. There was that word again. Love. “Look, ‘love’ is a strong word to be usi-”

“Whatever it is Morgan,” she interrupted. “You deserve to be happy, he deserves to be happy, and Bea deserves to be happy. And you two denying yourselves that for no good reason is just…idiotic. Trust me Arthur. As someone who’s lost the love of their life, you shouldn’t let the opportunity go to waste. Not when you’re both alive and wanting to be with each other, with nothing but yourselves stopping you.”

Arthur shifted his eyes down in thought. 

“Well as nice as those words are Sadie, I can’t force him to take me back if he don’t want it. Actually…he seems like he’s been avoiding me since I brought Bea home. He said we could still be friends but, I don’t know. Maybe he realized that would be too much for him.”

“Well have you tried approaching him first? Maybe he thinks you want space from him since he’s the one who broke things off?”

Arthur scratched at his stubbly beard. “Maybe…And no I haven’t really approached him. Guess I could try next time I see him. Let him know I’m not mad at him for it. Sad, sure. But, not mad.”

“Good, well maybe he-”

“Well, well, well. What do we have here boys?” A couple of men rode up along their coach. Both Arthur and Sadie placed their hands on their sidearms, ready for a fight.

**********

The two made it back to camp safely after an adrenaline inducing shoot-out with some Lemoyne Raiders. Arthur was surprisingly impressed by Sadie’s shooting skills and made a mental note never to piss her off in the future.

When they got down from the wagon Sadie nudged Arthur in the side then gestured to the campfire with a smile on her face.

Arthur followed her gaze and felt all the air leave his lungs when he saw his daughter sitting next to Charles. The two of them were smiling and laughing together. The sight of it nearly made him cry.

“C’mon then,” Sadie grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the fire before he could let out any sort of protest.

As soon as Bea noticed Arthur she yelled, “Daddy!” and leapt down from the crate and ran to him with open arms.

He chuckled and lifted her up with ease. “Hey bumblebee!” He kissed her on the cheek before gently setting her back down.

“See, told you I would keep your daddy safe. Hardly any trouble at all on our trip. Right Arthur?” Sadie elbowed him in the ribs playfully which he rolled his eyes at.

“So,” he looked up at Charles who gave him a small smile. Arthur gave a subtle smile back. “What have you and Charles been up to?”

He watched Bea’s eyes light up at the question. “I helped him make his arrows! And we talked about different bird feathers, and about how bison migrate, and the different types of bears, and that baby deers are called fawns, and-!”

“Whoa! Slow down there kiddo,” Arthur laughed at her overly excited list of topics Charles talked to her about. “Sounds like you two had a fun time while I was gone. I thought you were supposed to do reading lessons with Hosea.”

“Oh, he’s gonna give me a lesson after Jack.”

Arthur hummed in confusion at that but shrugged. “O-kay then.”

“Hey Bea, why don’t we let your father and Charles catch up? I got something to show you anyways.” Sadie produced the mysterious package she had bought in Rhodes and showed it to Bea.

“You mean that secret package you bought was for my own daughter this whole time and you still wouldn’t tell me what it was?”

Sadie laughed at him. “That’s right big man.”

“Well then…what is it?!”

“You’ll see. C’mon Bea.” Sadie reached her hand out to the girl who happily took it and looked at the package with excitement as they walked away.

Arthur turned back around and his heart immediately started hammering in his chest when he realized he was alone with Charles.

“Um…” he scratched the back of his head anxiously trying to figure out what to say.

“Wanna sit?” Charles gestured to the log beside him.

“Oh, uh ya sure.” Arthur lowered himself down to the log.

“So,” they both began in unison then stared blankly at each other before letting out a few chuckles.

“You first,” Charles insisted.

Arthur blushed slightly. “Oh well, I just wanted to say thanks for looking after Bea while I was gone. You didn’t have to do that, and I hope she didn’t bug you too much.”

Charles looked surprised for moment before blurting out, “Not at all! She…” He let out a sigh. “She’s really great Arthur. I enjoyed spending time with her.”

Arthur eye’s met Charles’ and he could tell he really meant it.

“Well she seems to have taken a real shine to you too. I imagine she’ll keep me up all night telling me about all the things you taught her today.”

Charles gave a hearty chuckle at that before his face grew more serious as he looked at Arthur with concern.

“How are you doing with everything Arthur? I imagine being a first-time father is a hard adjustment to make. Especially since…”

_She has no mother_

“it’s just you.”

Arthur’s chest tightened at the mention of being a first-time father for the second time that day. How could he bring himself to correct them? To reveal the fact that he was a father already. That he failed as a father. How could anyone have any faith in him looking after Bea after telling them he allowed his first child to be murdered?

He cast his eyes to ground at the shame building in his gut.

“It’s…quite the change I guess but…I’m managing. And I’m happy I have her. Truly. I just hope I can be the kind of father she needs me to be.”

He looked up in surprise when he felt a comforting hand squeeze his shoulder. Charles was looking at him with an almost pained expression.

“Arthur. I know she hasn’t been with you long but even a fool can see how much you care for her. How much you love her. And she undoubtedly loves you back with all her little heart. It’s clear as day you’ll do everything you can to be a good father to her.”

Arthur couldn’t bare to look at his face any longer with the amount of raw emotion in Charles’ expression.

“I do love her. And I guess all I can do is try. Not much else there is to it.”

Charles nodded and gave him one last pat to the shoulder before moving his hand away. Arthur immediately missed the weight of it.

They sat in silence for a few moments until Charles cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately. I thought that it would be better to give you some space for a while. Let you and her get settled with each other. And I wasn’t sure if you were mad after…after our last conversation.”

“I wasn’t mad Charles, just…” he trailed off with a sad tone.

“I understand,” Charles whispered. Because really, he did. He felt the same crushing sadness that Arthur was no longer his and he was no longer Arthur’s. Nearly all his life he had gone it alone so he figured he could adjust to the loss. Bury the pain until he was numb again.

But that didn’t happen. Each day the sorrow he felt only grew stronger and stronger until he could no longer deny the fact that their separation left an aching hole in him that couldn’t be filled, or ignored.

“I miss you.” The words tumbled out of his mouth in a soft whisper before he even realized he was saying them.

Arthur’s eyes gleamed wide with hope at his words. He looked up and waited for Charles to meet his gaze before he whispered back, “I miss you too.”

Charles’ face showed a hint of a smile before it fell and he shook his head softly.

“I’m sorry. I said we could still be friends and that I would help you through this. Then I left for two days and kept avoiding you. It wasn’t fair of me. But, I still want that if you do. To be…friends.”

It wasn’t exactly what Arthur wanted to hear but he would take anything at this point. Anything but the horrible space and silence between them now.

He nodded softly. “Ya. Ya, that sounds good.”

They met eyes again and smiled.

“Daddy, Mr. Charles look!” Bea’s excited voice cut their conversation off as she ran up to them.

A smug looking Mrs. Adler followed closely behind.

Arthur looked surprised, seeing exactly what it was Bea wanted him to see.

Where before Bea was dressed in one of her fancy city dresses, she now sported jean overalls with a pale yellow buttoned up shirt underneath. The overalls were slightly big and had to be rolled up at the bottoms.

Arthur was rendered speechless for a second. “Well…looks like you got yourself a new outfit there. Now you almost match Sadie.”

In truth he liked the change if only for the fact that getting her dressed in the morning will be a hell of a lot easier now. Poor thing kept running to Molly or Abigail every morning after Arthur consistently failed to work out her dresses.

“Ya!” Bea threw her hands up in excitement. “And I can run so much better, and do cartwheels! And Auntie Sadie said I’m allowed to get as dirty as I want in these!”

“Wow,” Arthur drawled. “As dirty as you want…,” he said through clenched teeth as he shot Sadie a dirty look.

“Well that was mighty fine of _Auntie_ Sadie to do that.”

Bea ignored Arthur’s sarcasm as she continued to happily kick her legs this way and that, without feeling like she was drowning in a plume of fabric.

Sadie gave him an evil smirk. “Hey Miss Grimshaw! Come see Beatrice’s new outfit!”

“Uh oh,” Charles muttered but was fully prepared for the show that was about to happen.

Arthur on the other hand, was looking desperately for a way to get out of the crossfire.

“Oh, hey look at that. Luna needs to be brushed.” He moved to get up but Charles pushed him back down with a smirk.

“Oh I saw Kieran do that about an hour ago. She’s good.” The look of betrayal on Arthur’s face almost made him feel bad. Almost.

“Oh my lord!” a shrill voice yelled out. “Arthur what have you done to this girl now?!”

Arthur stared at Miss Grimshaw with frightened eyes.

“D-don’t look at me, she did it!” he pointed at Sadie.

“What?” Sadie asked with her most innocent sounding voice. “You said you didn’t like her dresses gettin’ dirty so I got her some clothes she _can_ get dirty.”

Susan clenched her fists angrily. “It’s bad enough we got you walkin’ around dressed like a man, but now you gotta drag this innocent girl into your devious ways! Next she’ll be chewing tobacco and spittin’ all over the place!”

Arthur looked on in terror. He jumped a little when Grimshaw suddenly turned to him.

“And you! You’re the girl’s father for heaven’s sake. You gonna let her turn your daughter into some sort of…of crossdresser!”

“C’mon Susan,” Arthur nearly begged. “You’re being a bit dramatic don’t you think? And besides, look how happy she is!”

He pointed to Bea who was now madly giggling as she did summersaults in a grass patch nearby.

The four adults all watched her for a moment before Susan gave an exasperated sigh and yelled, “Fine! But at least do something about that messy hair of hers Mr. Morgan!” before marching away mumbling words of how they were ruining that poor little girl and so forth.

Arthur looked between Sadie and Charles with a sour look on his face. “You’re both evil.”

Sadie just laughed and walked away.

“Daddy, did you see my summersaults?” Bea bounded up to him and his sour mood quickly faded.

“I sure did bumblebee. Best summersaults I ever seen!”

He picked her up and set her on his lap. He looked down at her and grimaced when he noticed an array of twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair. He started picking them out remembering Susan’s words.

“Guess we need to do a better job of managing your hair.”

She tilted her head up to look at him, “Why?”

Before he answered he felt Charles’ hand rest on his arm.

“Maybe I can help. Does she have a brush?”

Arthur left Bea with Charles while he went to retrieve her hairbrush from their tent. He watched as Charles sat Bea in front of him and gently started to brush through her long, tangled hair. Arthur, not knowing what to do with himself, sat in front of Bea and kept her distracted by telling her stories of when he first joined Dutch and Hosea.

Every few moments Charles looked up at him and smiled at his story which almost caused Arthur to forget what he was talking about more than once.

Once her hair was brushed out, Charles threaded it into a neat braid and tied it off with a piece of leftover string from his arrows.

“There. All done.”

Bea hopped off the crate and reached behind her to feel the braid that fell down her back. “Wow, thanks Mr. Charles!”

She threw herself into his side and gave him a crushing hug.

Charles looked stunned for a moment then smiled and gently returned the hug and told her, “You’re welcome.”

“Beatrice! Time for your lesson!” Hosea called from the table across camp.

She stopped hugging Charles and felt her father pat her back. “Go on to Hosea now bumblebee.”

She nodded and made her way over the table. Arthur watched as she proudly showed Jack and Hosea her new look. It was the brightest he had seen her smile.

“Seriously Charles, thank you.” That was twice now Charles helped take care of his daughter that day and he was immeasurably grateful.

“It’s no problem Arthur, really. I like spending time with her…and you.”

Arthur blushed and coughed awkwardly but said nothing.

“You know,” Charles picked up one of his arrows, “Bea asked me if I could show her sometime how I shoot arrows. I told her that if you said it was okay, maybe we could go outside of camp one day and I can show her.”

Arthur’s heart leaped while he pretended to look thoughtful about the idea.

“Well she has been begging me to take her riding on Luna lately… So, I suppose we could all three of us go on a little ride and you can show her your impressive shootin’ skills.”

Charles grinned. “Perfect.”

“Guess it’s a date then.” Arthur’s eyes widened when he realized his choice of words, and he quickly tried to backpedal. “Er…well I mean…”

Charles chuckled. “I know what you mean you fool.”

“Arthur!” Dutch suddenly called to him from his tent.

“Better go see what he wants,” Charles said. 

“Ya alright,” Arthur muttered then made his way over to Dutch.

Dutch had a huge grin on his face as Arthur approached him. He clapped him on the shoulder and proudly boasted, “Big plans in the works, son. Ho-ho big plans! We’ll get you back out there in no time. Get that money rolling in again!”

“Sure Dutch.”

He allowed Dutch to steer him further into the tent. He threw one last glance back at Charles before listening to whatever nonsense Dutch was spewing about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…I really do not like Grimshaw. I get why people do since she is pretty protective of the gang. But there’s a camp interaction where she tries to make Abigail start prostituting again and I pretty much lost all respect for her after that. Plus I think she could have tried a little harder to be a voice of reason to Dutch after Hosea died considering she was the only other long-term senior member of the gang. But she didn’t really make an honest effort to stand up to him which sucked, especially considering Arthur was obviously very sick and overworked, and he was like a son to her :/
> 
> In case I haven’t made it obvious – Arthur is having some PTSD from what happened to Isaac. The Red Dead Wiki page mentions that “he never truly coped with the pain” after losing Isaac and Eliza. So ya, some bad feelings from that are getting brought up with the introduction of Bea into his life.
> 
> Btw, I hope I am never offensive in any way towards African American or Indigenous peoples when trying to describe anything with regards to Charles’ appearance or heritage. I am not a POC and I try to research as much as possible before saying anything with regards to a culture I am unfamiliar with. Like the eagle feather for instance. I know that they can be very symbolic in Native American culture but I didn’t want to say anything too specific in that regards since I don’t know the full history. But if anyone ever feels the need to correct me – Please do!
> 
> P.S. I have a lot of random interactions that I want to add in this story but not really sure where to fit them so I think the next chapter will just be a sort of compilation of short stories with those ideas. So probs not much plot for the next chapter.


	12. Tales of Clemens Point - Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! 
> 
> So I was originally gonna make one big chapter with some short stories revolved around Bea and Clemens Point. But as I was writing the first story I realized it would be better to just post each short story as a chapter. Its basically just fluffy filler stuff but I wanted to include it regardless. So the next chapter or two will also be shorter and more filler than plot. Hopefully this means I'll post them more often. I find that I quite like writing shorter chapters, so that may be what I do from here on out (I say that now lol). 
> 
> Then we'll get into...that mission. 
> 
> Btw if yall notice grammar/spelling mistakes or that I just straight up skip words sometimes, its because this is not beta read and I usually write, edit, and post my chapters late at night when I'm sleep deprived because its the only time I have to write. So, I'm sorry haha. I try to catch everything but obviously I still miss stuff. This is a hobby I don't have much time for unfortunately, so as long as its readable I call that a win.
> 
> Tumblr: https://rdr-addict.tumblr.com/

Arthur sighed in content as a soft breeze brushed past him, cutting through some of the southern heat. He was settled in a shady spot at the base of a tree with his journal open in his lap. His hand softly scribbled on the page then stopped as he briefly looked up to study the subjects of his drawing.

Charles stood strong and firm with his head held high and eyes focused on his target. His arms flexed and displayed his incredible strength as he took aim. Arthur quickly looked back down to add the details to his sketch before-

_Whoosh_

Charles released the arrow, hitting his target with impressive accuracy. Soon after, a tiny pair of hands clapped along with an excited, “Yay! Do it again!”

Beatrice sat on a nearby rock, clapping and yelling excitedly every time Charles released an arrow. She was specifically told not to leave that rock until Arthur or Charles said so. They didn’t want her running around the place while arrows were flying through the air. Plus it eased some of Arthur’s paranoia with having his daughter outside of camp. This way he knew exactly where she was at all times.

Charles had kept his promise to Arthur that they would act as friends again, and to Bea that he would show her how he handles a bow and arrow. While Charles and Bea spent some quality time together, Arthur happily sat in peace with his journal.

He added a few details to his sketch of Bea clapping before setting the journal down next to him.

“Why don’t we give the man a break bumblebee. He’s been shootin’ arrows for nearly an hour now. How ‘bout a little lunch instead?”

“Okay!” She quickly stood up and was about to jump down from her rock when she remembered she had to wait for permission. She balanced dangerously on one foot before she planted herself firmly back on the rock.

“Um, may I get down now please?”

Arthur chuckled at her politeness. Definitely the result of Mary’s teachings.

“Hmm,” Arthur scratched at his chin. “I don’t know…what do you think Charles?”

Charles huffed a laugh. “I think you’re a cruel father Arthur Morgan.”

He turned to Bea. “Yes, you can get down now.”

She smiled at Charles then stuck her tongue out at her father before jumping down from the rock and grabbing Charles’ hand to drag him over to the tree.

“C’mon Mr. Charles!”

Charles happily followed along and the three settled under the shade together. The two men started pulling out some apples and salted venison for lunch. While Arthur sliced some bits of apple up for Bea she noticed his journal laying on the ground, still open to his newest sketch.

“Hey, that’s me!” she picked up the book and pointed to the figure of her sitting on the rock.

“And look Mr. Charles you’re in here too!”

She ran to Charles before Arthur could stop her. He really should teach her the importance of privacy, and that his journal is off limits. Though he can’t really blame her when he left the damn thing wide open for her to see.

Arthur’s face immediately turned hot as Charles raked his eyes over the drawing and he gave Arthur a cheeky grin. He suddenly remembered what happened the last time he showed Charles a sketch of himself and he blushed even more.

“Wow,” Charles turned his attention back towards Bea. “Your father really is quite the artist, isn’t he?”

“Ya! I wish I could draw like that. Daddy can you teach me to draw like you, please?”

Arthur cleared his throat as he tried to regain some his composure. “Sure bumblebee. I suppose we can do some lessons. But just remember it takes a lot of practice to get better at something. You won’t be an expert right away. It took me quite a few years to draw anything decent. Of course, I only learned because Hosea taught me.”

“Huh, I never knew that.” Charles said simply.

“Yep. That man is a considerable artist himself.”

Bea returned the journal to Arthur who hastily shoved it back into his satchel before she could snoop at it even more. He wasn't worried about her looking at the sketches per se, but she was a decent reader for her age and there were some journal entries that were not for children's eyes. 

They ate in peace and once satisfied Charles leaned back against the tree, closed his eyes, and drifted into a light sleep. Seeing that the man was no longer up for shooting arrows, Bea looked around for something else to do.

“Daddy?”

“Hm?” Arthur looked up from the apple he was cutting for himself.

“Can I go pick some of those yellow flowers over there please?” She pointed towards the meadowy area in front of them.

Arthur squinted and could see the patch of yellow flowers she was referring to. They weren’t too far away but still made him question if it was safe enough to let her go alone.

“Oh um…sure.”

“Thanks daddy!” she yelled and took off as soon as the words left his mouth.

“J-just stay where I can see you!”

“Okay!” she yelled back.

“And watch out for snakes!”

“Okay!” she yelled again.

“And come right back once you’ve got enough!”

“Okay!” her voice had faded farther away.

“Oh, and-!”

He was interrupted by a chuckle to his left.

“What’s so funny Mr. Smith?”

“You.” The man cracked an eye open and smiled. 

“She’s just picking flowers Arthur. She’ll be fine.”

“Ya but what if-”

“I liked your drawing by the way.” Charles quickly changed the subject before being subjected to Arthur’s laundry list of what could go wrong while his daughter picked flowers.

Arthur felt the heat return to his cheeks.

“Shut up,” he grumbled. Then he snuck a glance over to the other man who had both his eyes shut again with a satisfied smirk gracing his face.

Arthur let his gaze linger on him. He wished he could kiss that smirk right off his face. Or even just hold the other man to him as they both dozed in the shade together. He looked at Charles’s hands, folded and resting on his chest, and he ached to be able to hold them in his own again. 

He wondered if Charles wanted the same things. And if he ached just as fiercely as Arthur with the absence of their intimacy.

“Thank you.” The words slipped out of Arthur’s mouth absentmindedly.

Charles blinked both eyes open this time. “For what?”

“For uh,” Arthur gestured vaguely to the open space in front of them. “For this. Coming out here with us. Showing Bea your arrows and just…being here.”

Charles looked up at Arthur. “You don’t need to thank me. I wanted to do this. I like spending time with you if you recall,” he chuckled.

“Besides,” he leaned his head back again and closed his eyes, “This is nice. Really nice actually. To get away from everything. Even if its just for a few hours. Don’t you think?”

Arthur hummed in agreement as he drifted his gaze over to the meadow again. He scanned the area and felt his heart drop when he didn’t see his daughter anywhere.

He sat up with a start. “Where’s Bea?”

Charles heard the panic his voice and quickly sat up and looked around as well.

“Shit.” He didn’t see her either.

Arthur’s breathing picked up as he scrambled to stand. Charles followed suit. They both took another few seconds to scan the meadow before Arthur cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, “Beatrice!”

His eyes darted frantically for any movement while Charles also yelled out her name in the other direction.

After a few tense seconds they heard a high pitched, “Yes daddy?” And saw her little blonde head pop up from where she was bending down just out of sight.

Arthur and Charles both sighed in relief.

Though his heart was still pounding with fear he mustered up a smile and yelled back, “J-just couldn’t see you is all. Are you almost done?”

“Ya!” she yelled back. “Coming!”

Arthur watched her start to run back towards them. He dropped his smile and turned to brace himself against the tree with one hand while holding his thumping heart with his other. “Jesus Christ.”

Charles chuckled at his expense but laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I told you she would be fine.”

Bea made it back and held her flowers up proudly to Charles and Arthur who praised her for her lovely selection.

“How about we have your father here shoot some arrows now? He could probably use the practice anyway,” Charles said to Bea.

Arthur gave him an offended look while Bea nodded eagerly.

She settled once again on her rock, with her bouquet of flowers in her lap. Arthur then stood in the same spot as Charles was previously and started shooting arrows under Charles’ scrutinous gaze.

Bea watched her father as he shot arrows at the same tree as Charles. She clapped and cheered again but then quickly grew bored when the two men started arguing over technique. Instead she began fiddling with the flowers in her lap.

Arthur didn’t even notice Bea stopped paying attention due to the constant “advice” Charles was throwing at him to get him to shoot better.

This quickly turned into a competition between the two men as they both began shooting arrows at the same tree.

Soon the peaceful sounds of the meadow were filled with the childish bickering of two grown men.

“You need to aim higher.”

“I am aiming higher.”

“The arrow at the top is mine.”

“No its mine.”

“You hit the wrong spot.”

“No…that’s where I was aiming.”

“You didn’t get a deer on that hunting trip, I did.”

“You got the second one, I got the first one.”

“Oh yeah…”

And they went on like so until the sun was considerably lower in the sky.

“Guess we should head back,” Arthur said. Charles nodded in agreement.

They walked over to Bea who looked up at them with a beaming smile.

“Look what I made!” She held up two loops of flowers tightly woven together.

“Auntie Tilly and Jack showed me how to make them. They’re crowns.”

“Well, ain’t that nice.” Arthur lifted her off the rock and set her on the ground. He was suddenly reminded of when he took Jack fishing and he made something similar for Abigail.

“This one is for you daddy!”

She lifted her right hand to show him, then lifted her left and said, “And this one is for you Uncle Charles!”

Arthur looked at it with an unsure expression while Charles’ looked at it with a soft smile. Charles' heart fluttered when he realized this was the first time she called him ‘Uncle.’ He knelt down and allowed her to place it on his head.

“Thank you Beatrice, its beautiful,” he smiled at her before standing back up.

She then held the other one up expectantly to Arthur with both hands. He looked at it then to Charles who gave him a, _what are you waiting for?_ look.

Arthur sighed, then knelt down and let Bea place it on his head.

He lifted his head and his blue eyes met hers, and he couldn’t help but match her sweet smile. She looked at him like he was her whole world and he never felt more undeserving of anything in his life.

How could such a sweet innocent thing come from him, he wondered. He did nothing in his life to be worthy of such an amazing child, yet here she was. 

“Thank you bumblebee, I love it,” he kissed her cheek then lifted her up with him as he stood.

“Ready to head home?”

She nodded and they made their way to Luna and Taima.

Bea was settled in the saddle and watched as Arthur and Charles stowed their bows away.

“Can I learn to do it too?”

“What?” Arthur asked as he hoisted himself behind her.

“Shoot arrows, like you and Uncle Charles.”

Arthur looked to Charles who just gave him an unsure shrug.

“Uh well…I think you’re a little young for that. Right Charles?”

Charles looked at him from atop Taima and gave him an apologetic look. “Actually…I got my first bow when I was four or five. My uncle made it for me. Though if I remember correctly, my parents weren't too happy about it. Still, they let me practice with it.”

“Wha-” Arthur looked at him in disbelief then looked down at Bea who was giving him a look that said _now what old man?_

“I…I don’t know. We would have to get one your size. And I don’t know how I feel about you handling weapons. I’ll think about it alright?”

“Okay.” She was satisfied with that answer. For now.

They rode back towards camp which was only about 20 minutes away. Halfway there Arthur felt Bea press further and further into him.

“She’s asleep,” Charles half whispered to him which confirmed his suspicions.

“Well she had a long day I suppose,” Arthur smiled.

Charles hummed and smiled at her peaceful face. “Yeah, today was…fun.”

“It was,” Arthur agreed. “But I feel kinda bad for not having anything to bring back to camp.”

“That reminds me…we need to stop and pull off the road in a minute,” Charles said. 

“What, why?”

“I set up some snares around here this morning. Might have caught a rabbit or two. Then we won’t come back empty handed at least.”

Arthur laughed. “You really do think of everything, don’t you Mr. Smith?”

“No,” he smiled but kept his gaze forward.

They soon stopped and Charles headed into the wooded area for a few minutes before remerging with not one, not two, but three rabbit carcasses.

“Well I’ll be…”

Charles gave him a triumphant look and walked over to Taima, tying two of the rabbits to her sides.

“Here,” Charles started tying the third to Luna. “I’ll even give you this one so it looks like you actually helped me.”

Arthur scoffed in offense. “Very funny.”

In truth he was actually grateful. On the off-chance Dutch noticed their return he would have less reason to scold Arthur about not contributing as much now that he had a young daughter to care for. Even though he still contributed significantly more than a majority of the camp.

Arthur had been trying to get out on more jobs lately but it never seemed enough to satisfy Dutch.

With that frustrating thought they continued until they reached camp. Bea woke up and noticed Jack playing at his and Abigail's tent. Once Arthur had her on the ground she was gone to tell Jack all about her day.

Arthur and Charles grabbed their (Charles’) kills and headed towards Pearson’s table.

“Ah thank you Mr. Smith, and Mr. Morg-” Pearson trailed off as he gave the two men weird looks.

“I’ll uh…make sure these make it into the pot.” His gaze lingered awkwardly over them before he turned away.

“The hell was that about?” Arthur wondered as they walked away.

“No idea, let’s just get some dinner while there’s still some left.”

The two men grabbed some stew for themselves and for Bea who decided she wanted to eat with Abigail and Jack that night. Charles headed for the fire while Arthur walked towards where Abigail and the two kids were sitting.

Arthur noticed people’s gazes lingering on him a little longer than what he deemed comfortable as he walked through camp. But he said nothing about it. That is, until Dutch said something to him.

“So, did you have fun frolicking in the flowers today son?”

Arthur stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Dutch.

“No. As a matter of fact, Charles and I just brought back three rabbits. Since no one else seems capable of feeding this damn camp.”

He felt a little guilty saying that, considering Charles did all the work. But he was more than a little annoyed by Dutch’s comment.

The man in question had the audacity to smirk at him and hold his hands up in defense. “Oh, I’m sorry son. I didn’t know. By the way, yellow isn’t really your color. I’d go with blue next time if I were you.”

Arthur was thoroughly confused. He looked down at his shirt which was white, and at his vest which was green.

“Are you going colorblind in your old age Dutch?” Arthur damn near stomped away from him.

When he handed Bea her food, he caught Abigail staring at him oddly. She looked to be trying her damndest not to snicker at him.

“What?” Arthur asked as his patience grew thinner with every minute.

“Nothin,” She said quickly and went back to her food.

Arthur walked away and sat himself down at the fire with a little more anger than he intended. He dug into his food then noticed it was suddenly quiet around him.

He looked up and noticed everyone (and by everyone he meant John, Karen, Uncle, Javier, Lenny, and Sadie) staring at him.

“What?” he practically shouted at them.

Wordlessly, they all turned their heads towards Charles who Arthur just noticed was also there.

As Arthur stared at him for answers his eyes automatically flicked to the bright yellow flowers that popped out against Charles’ raven black hair. Then he realized.

“What?” he yelled again, which made everyone look back at him.

“You never seen grown men wear flowers in their hair before?!”

They all mumbled unintelligibly and returned to their dinner. They knew full well Arthur Morgan and Charles Smith were the last people they should start a problem with. Especially if it involved both of them.

Charles made no comment but Arthur could see the barely contained smirk on his lips as he stared into the flames and ate his dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Charles have a totally awesome uncle that made him a bow when he was 4 or 5? Heck if I know, but it would be very nice if he did. I imagine he would have had some sort of training with a bow before his mother's tribe was tragically attacked, but we can only guess. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the fluffiest, softest chapter ever. Kudos and comments always appreciated and make me smile (◕‿◕✿)


	13. Tales of Clemens Point - Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Wow has it been way too long and I sincerely apologize for that. Work got crazy because my boss had to go on medical leave unexpectedly. And I also moved! So I have had a busy few months. I didn't stop writing completely though. I published a one-shot called "Not A Mistake" way back in October revolving around Jack, John, and Abigail if anyone is interested in reading that. I'll post the link below:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/26960251 
> 
> Anyways I hope everyone out there is staying healthy and safe. And Happy Holidays!

Bea rested her head on top of her folded arms and let out a small sigh as she listened to Jack try and sound out the word ‘ordinary’ for the third time. Hosea sat next to him at the table giving him encouragement when he seemed unsure. Bea sat across from the two of them, trying her best to patiently wait until the lesson was over. But being patient was becoming exceedingly more difficult.

She was bored without her only friend to play with. And her father and her Uncle Charles weren’t around to keep her company like they usually do.

After breakfast Dutch had come up to Arthur and asked him and Charles to go find a man named Trelawny. Bea didn’t know who that was but her father explained he was like an old family friend. She begged her father to let her go with them. Afterall, they’ve taken her outside of camp before. But Arthur gently shut her down and promised they would be back as soon as possible.

So now she was stuck listening to Hosea and Jack reading. And by the sound of it, Jack was enjoying the lesson less than Bea was listening it.

“I’m never gonna get this Uncle Hosea!” Jack whined.

“Not with that attitude you won’t. Now come on, try it again.”

Jack struggled for another minute or so before Bea sat up and leaned over the table to look at the word he was trying to say.

“That says ‘favorite’ Jack.”

“Ah ah ah,” Hosea tsked at her. “No helping him Beatrice, he needs to sound it out himself or he won’t learn.”

Both kids let out dejected grumbles. A deep chuckle rose from a few feet away where Dutch was sitting outside his tent with a book on his lap.

“Well it seems our young Beatrice is a bit overqualified to be reading your books Hosea. Why don’t you come try out old Uncle Dutch’s book Beatrice?”

Bea perked up and quickly hopped down from the table at the same time Hosea let out an annoyed groan.

“Dutch there is no reason to subject a young child to the torture you call ‘fine literature.’ That’s not an Evelyn Miller book is it?” he asked pointing to the book in Dutch’s hand.

Dutch just gave him a knowing smirk as he lifted Bea onto his lap and settled the book in front of her.

“Don’t listen to him Beatrice. Evelyn Miller is one of the greatest minds of our time.”

Hosea responded with a sarcastic, “Ha!”

Dutch ignored him and opened the book to point at a block of text.

“Alright, let’s see how you do with these sentences here.”

Bea leaned forward and placed her finger on the paper to follow along the lines as she read aloud.

“Our…h-humanity can only be understood if we…embrace both the animal and the god within us. As humans, we must n-nourish both…yet America is a land of action. A place fixated not on ideas, not on the redem- redemptive power of thought but on the…ob- ob-”

“Obliteration,” Dutch filled in for her.

“…obliteration of the intellect,” She finished.

“Ha ha! Well done!” Dutch cheered. “We’ll have you reading entire Miller novels before you know it.”

“For her sake I hope not,” Hosea mumbled.

Dutch slipped Bea off his lap so she could rejoin Hosea and Jack at the table. He stood and lit a cigar as he walked over to them.

“You know…” he drawled while eyeing the kids. “Uncle Hosea and I taught your father’s how to read. And they were both in their teens by that point. First it was Arthur. That boy struggled in the beginning but he never lost his determination. He became a fine reader in no time at all. John on the other hand…”

Hosea let out a few chuckles as the memories resurfaced.

“Well…” Dutch continued. “You kinda remind me of him Jack. He was as stubborn as can be. I thought he would never get it. Thankfully your Uncle Hosea has the patience of a saint because John sure knew how to test mine.”

“You flipped the table over once if I remember correctly,” Hosea said with a deadpanned face, though his eyes shone with humor.

“Yes well…like I said, he tested my patience.”

The two older men chuckled together as Bea looked between them with a contemplative look.

“So…you and Uncle Hosea raised our daddies right? Like fathers?”

Dutch puffed out smoke and gave a slight nod.

“Sure, in a way we did. We took care of them when they were still kids. Took them in and gave them a home, and a family,” he gave Hosea a sly smile which was reciprocated.

“Okay so…” Bea continued her train of thought. “So then doesn’t it make more sense for me and Jack to call you our grandpa’s, instead of uncles?”

Dutch started choking on his cigar smoke while Hosea just laughed at his expense. Even Molly who was sitting within her and Dutch’s tent started snickering loudly.

“You have something to say Miss O’Shea?” Dutch turned to her.

“Oh no, nothing _Grandpa_ Dutch. By the way, is that a coupl’a gray hairs I see on your head?”

Molly’s retort made Hosea laugh even harder.

Dutch did his best to ignore the laughter. Though now he was afraid to look at himself in the mirror.

“Listen kids, I ain’t _that_ old compared to your fathers, or…in general. Hosea on the other hand, well he’s ancient. I think it may be more suitable to refer to him as your great-grandfather. Isn’t that right, old girl?”

Hosea stopped laughing at that. “Oh, veeeeery funny Dutch. But…I suppose I am old enough to be their grandfather. I certainly _feel_ old enough.”

He reached across the table and patted Beatrice’s hand with his own. “Listen little lady, if you want to refer to me as your old Grandpa Hosea you go right ahead. But give Dutch a few more years yet for that.”

“A few?” Dutch sounded offended. “I’d say at least another decade or two.”

“Hmm, how about five years?” Hosea smirked.

The two went back and forth with sarcastic comebacks as Bea and Jack giggled at their playful fight. It reminded Bea of how her father and Uncle Charles sometimes acted with each other. Sometimes they made jokes about each other but they never took it to heart, and always seemed so happy together.

“Grandpa Hosea? Uncle Dutch?”

They stopped their bickering for a moment to look at Bea.

“Are you best friends?” she asked.

Dutch let out a soft chuckle while Hosea just smiled fondly at her question.

“Indeed we are. The world has never seen two friends like us before,” Hosea said enthusiastically. 

“The curious couple,” Dutch said softly to himself.

“What was that Dutch?” Molly asked.

“Ah…nothing my dear,” he laughed. “How about I come read some Evelyn Miller to you?”

Hosea and Molly both groaned quietly.

*******************************

Arthur landed one last punch to the man he held to the ground, knocking him out.

Charles stood from the tree he was leaning against.

“Alright, that should do it. Let’s go find Trelawny.”

Arthur nodded and mounted Luna as Charles settled on Taima. This little errand of Dutch’s was turning into quite the endeavor. Once him and Charles stumbled on Trelawney’s caravan in disarray, they started tracking those responsible with the hopes of finding the man in question. Hopefully in one piece.

And now that they’ve beaten the information out of those bastard bounty hunters, they were headed to Braithwaite manor to hopefully find Trelawney.

“This little task of Dutch’s is turning into a wild goose chase. Thought this would only take an hour or two,” Arthur grumbled.

“Ya, seems like that’s what happens these days whenever we do anything. You in a rush or something?”

Arthur cleared his throat. “Um…no, I just uh…”

Charles smiled to himself. “You’re worried about Bea aren’t you?”

“No,” Arthur slowly. “I just don’t like being away from camp too long.”

“Funny, before Beatrice came along you used to spend days away from camp. Weeks sometimes.”

Arthur made no comment and refused to look in Charles’ direction.

Charles took that as a sign of defeat and chuckled.

“Arthur you know she’s perfectly safe at camp. Well…safe enough at least. I understand you’re overprotective, but the others care about her and will make sure she’s taken care of. You don’t need to worry so much.”

“I know,” Arthur sighed. “Wait, you think I’m overprotective?”

Charles smiled and shrugged. “Maybe just a little. But I’ve never been a parent so who am I to judge. I’m sure once you get a little more used to being a father you’ll start to loosen up a bit. You’re still new to this, give yourself time.”

“Ya,” Arthur said lowly with a distant look in his eyes.

They rode in silence the rest of the way until they reached the border of the Braithwaite Manor estate.

Luckily for them they didn’t have to look too hard to find Trelawny. As soon as they stumbled upon a little shack, out stumbled two more bounty hunters carrying a roughed-up Trelawney.

As soon as Arthur and Charles lifted their guns though, the bounty hunters made a run for it in the nearby cornfields.

“They’re getting away!” Charles immediately took off after them while Arthur went to untie Trelawney.

“Go after them Arthur! I can handle this!” Trelawney pushed his hands away and Arthur nodded, following Charles into fields.

“Watch the birds Arthur!” Charles yelled to him. Sure enough, he spotted a bunch of crows fly out of the field where something or someone spooked them.

He ran in that direction and raised his repeater. As soon as he saw a flash of fabric, he took his shot. He heard a pained yell and ran towards the sound to confirm the man was down for good.

“Arthur! Come take a look!” He heard Charles shout in the distance.

He ran towards his voice and eventually spotted him down one of the rows of corn looking at a bag on the ground.

“Looks like he dumped his gear. Let’s look around. He can’t have gone too far.”

“Alright,” Arthur agreed and started trekking through the corn stalks.

He crept as silently as possible to try and sneak up on his target. But there were no sounds to follow, no birds scattering into the air.

Suddenly, he heard the crunching of leaves behind him and before he could turn around, he was pulled to the ground by his neck and dragged backwards.

His neck immediately burned from the rope wrapped tightly around it and he shot his hands up to try and fight the violent tugging at his neck. His legs kicked out frantically and his vision was starting to blur as his lungs screamed at him for air.

A figure suddenly appeared in front of him and through his waning vision he could see it was Charles.

“He’s mine!” The bounty hunter yelled. “Let me take him…you get outta here.”

“You have my friend,” Charles said coolly.

“He’s not your friend, I’ll give you money,” the bounty hunter hissed as reached for his pocket. 

Arthur continued choking and scratching at the rope digging into his flesh. Desperate for just one gasp of air…

“Oh be quiet,” he heard Charles snarl angrily.

Then…just as he was close to passing out, the rope went slack and he was finally granted air.

He gasped and tried loosening the rope enough to get it off when he felt another set of hands frantically tugging at the rope.

“Arthur! Arthur! You okay?!” Charles’ worried voice came through the fog in his head.

“Shit, ya,” Arthur coughed out.

Charles finally looped the rope from around his neck and noticed the bright red ring on Arthur’s skin. He grimaced and brushed his thumb over it.

Arthur immediately recoiled from the sharp stinging sensation.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Charles apologized and moved his hands away from the sensitive wound to grasp Arthur’s shoulders and help him sit up.

Arthur continued to catch his breath as Charles kept a steady grip on him, a concerned look never leaving his face.

When Arthur nearly regained his breath, he felt himself being pulled forward until his forehead met Charles’. His eyes shot open in confusion but he made no move to pull away.

Charles kept his eyes closed and whispered, “That was too close. If I hadn’t heard him grab you…”

Arthur wasn’t sure how to respond.

“You should have taken the money,” he huffed.

Charles opened his eyes and let out a soft chuckle. “I know. I’m a fool.” He pulled back from Arthur slightly and looked down.

Arthur stared back at him with wide eyes, begging, hoping, for Charles to lean forward and press his lips to his. He flicked his eyes down too, to Charles’ lips. Hoping to get the message across.

But just as he leaned forward, Charles pulled back and gently tilted Arthur’s head back to get a better look at his neck.

Arthur mentally kicked himself for thinking Charles wanted to kiss him.

“I can make a salve for it when we get back to camp. It should sooth the burn. But you’ll probably have a nasty bruise.”

“Thanks,” Arthur muttered. “And thanks for saving my sorry ass.”

“No problem,” Charles laughed lightly as he pulled Arthur and himself to their feet.

Not a moment later, gunshots rang out across the field.

“Looks like we’re not done yet!” Charles ducked and grabbed hold of Arthur to do the same.

“They’re coming from the barn over there!” Arthur pointed to the nearby structure.

“I see it.”

“Alright, let’s get this shit over with then.”

“Right behind you,” Charles squeezed his shoulder before they sprinted towards the barn.

After the firefight ended, Charles and Arthur made their way back to Trelawney and the horses.

Arthur hoisted the injured man up onto his horse. “Alright let’s get you back to camp.”

“Yes,” Trelawney groaned in pain. “I think it might be best if I stayed with you gentlemen for a while. Can’t go back to that caravan now.”

“Surely not,” Arthur agreed. “Let’s head for camp then.”

*******************************

The three men made it back to camp in one piece. Charles and Arthur helped Trelawny down and practically dragged him to Miss Grimshaw who started berating the poor man over his various injuries. Charles and Arthur were quick to vacate the scene.

Once they were at a safe distance Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. Something felt wrong. Normally he would have had a six-year-old tackling his legs by now. She usually greeted him before he could even fully dismount from his horse. He looked around in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Charles asked.

“Where’s Bea? She normally comes to see me right when I get back.”

“We just got back Arthur. I’m sure she’s around.”

“Ya,” Arthur responded absentmindedly but still looked around frantically for his daughter.

“Arthur, hey!” Abigail approached him with mischievous smile on her face.

“Miss Roberts,” he greeted back. “You seen Bea anywhere?”

“That’s what I’m coming over here for. Hurry, follow me.” She started walking away before Arthur could respond. She was still smiling so whatever it was he knew it wasn’t bad.

He shrugged at Charles who was equally confused, and motioned for him to follow too.

Abigail led them towards the trees at the edge of camp and turned around motioning for them stay quiet.

As they crept closer Arthur could see what Abigail wanted to show him. At the base of a tree Bea and Jack were curled into each other, softly dozing with a book splayed open between their laps.

“Jack asked Bea to help him with his reading so they grabbed her fairytale book from your tent. I guess Jack would rather have her help him than Hosea,” she laughed quietly so as to not wake them.

“I checked on them every few minutes but when I came back just now, I found them like this. Ain’t it just the sweetest,” she gushed.

“Ya,” Arthur agreed and smiled softy. He looked to Charles who was also looking down at them fondly.

“Oh my word Arthur! What happened to your neck?” Abigail’s outburst stirred the kids awake.

“Ah just some bad business rescuing Trelawny from some bounty hunters.”

“That reminds me, I need to make that salve,” Charles said.

The sound of her father and Uncle Charles’ voices made Bea wake even more. She started scrubbing the sleep from her eyes and let out a big yawn.

“Daddy?” she asked as she blinked her eyes clear.

“Hey bumblebee, hey Jackie.” Arthur knelt down in front of them.

“Daddy!” “Uncle Arthur!”

Both kids shot up and ran into Arthur’s arms.

He laughed then immediately hissed in pain as their arms wound around his burning neck.

The two kids backed off quickly after he hissed and Bea gasped when she saw his neck.

“Daddy are you hurt?” She looked up at him with scared eyes.

“Just a little…scratch sweetheart.”

“But…but are you gonna be okay?!” she panicked.

“Of course I will! I’ll be just fine.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“Promise,” he kissed the top of her head.

When Bea looked up again she noticed Charles standing next to her father.

“Uncle Charles!” she ran and hugged his legs. Jack quickly followed suit.

Charles let out a surprised chuckle and ruffled the tops of both their heads. “Hey kids.”

“Alright you two, why don’t you both help me carry some laundry from the water while Charles helps Arthur take care of his little…scratch.”

Abigail shot him a knowing look and he nodded his thanks to her. She then started to lead two grumbling children to the water.

“Let me grab some supplies and I’ll meet you at your tent,” Charles gave a nudge to Arthur’s shoulder then walked off.

Arthur did as he was told and pushed back the flap of his tent. He looked around for a moment before hastily shoving things out of the way so Charles could have room to work. Once he was satisfied with that, he looked down at himself and started fixing his clothes and brushing as much dirt off as he could. He felt like a fool for trying to look anything more than half decent for a man who didn’t even want him. But he couldn’t help it if his subconscious still fought for Charles’s affection. He took a quick look in the mirror to check his hair but grimaced when he caught sight of the inflamed and bruised ring forming around his neck. He brought a tentative hand up to touch it but immediately pulled back when he felt it sting.

The flap to his tent lifted suddenly and Charles entered with a mortar and pestle and a handful of herbs.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Arthur smiled and moved away from the mirror. “I was just making sure I was still ugly.”

Charles rolled his eyes and pushed Arthur until the back of his knees hit the cot and he was forced to sit on it.

“Quit saying shit like that,” Charles said as he pulled a stool in front of Arthur and sat in front him.

“Hold these.” He dumped a bunch of herbs on Arthur’s lap who scrambled to secure them in his hands.

“Wow, gotta lot of stuff here,” Arthur mumbled.

“We should work quickly, or we’ll lose the light.” Charles started picking things out of Arthur’s hands and crushing them.

As he worked, he started explaining to Arthur what each item was and what medicinal properties they had. But Arthur found his thoughts drifting away from Charles’ words.

Instead, he thought back to the not so long-ago time when the gang was stuck up in the snowy mountains after the botched ferry job in Blackwater. When he was attacked by the bear and Charles stayed in his cabin, mending the gashes in his arm. He could remember how he felt that night, watching Charles work in front of him, feeling his gentle touches. He felt the same way now. Like his head was overwhelmed with thoughts yet blank at the same time. And his heart ached with feelings he never thought he would have again. He remembered how nervous Charles made him feel that night.

He surprised himself and Charles when he let out a soft laugh at the memory.

Charles looked up from his work and gave him a weird look. “What’s so funny?”

“Ah, nothing. This just reminds me of the bear incident we had up in the Grizzlies. You had to patch me up then too, remember?”

Charles hummed. “How could I forget? Wasn’t so long ago. And here we are again already. I’m gonna start thinking you get yourself hurt on purpose if you keep this up.”

“If it means gettin’ the royal treatment like this from you maybe I should.”

As soon as Arthur said those words he clamped his mouth shut. He didn’t mean to sound so…forward? Desperate? He wasn’t sure which word to use.

Luckily Charles gave no response other than a small smirk.

“This might sting a little.” Charles scooped up some of the salve and brought it to Arthur’s neck.

Arthur winced but otherwise tried not to show any other hints of discomfort.

“Sorry, it should feel better soon.” Charles apologized as his fingers rubbed the mixture over the sensitive skin.

After a moment Arthur was surprised when he felt the stinging flesh where the salve was start to ebb into a soothing cool feeling.

“It’s working, feels much better.”

“Good.”

They sat in silence while Charles worked. He kept his focus on the wound while Arthur slowly got lost in the touch and presence of him. His hands were so gentle, his face was so close his own. He studied every detail from the way his hair fell around his face to the lightning shaped scars on his cheeks. He’s never asked about those scars, nor has Charles asked about the scars littered throughout Arthur’s body.

He wanted so badly to lean forward and kiss them. But he held back.

He felt Charles’ hand freeze on his neck. He took his gaze away from the scars to look up at Charles whose eyes were now trained on Arthur’s.

They held each other’s gaze. Arthur could see a question behind Charles’ eyes. Like he was wondering why Arthur was looking at him so longingly. Or maybe that wasn’t it at all. Arthur could also see the same desire he felt hidden behind those dark orbs.

“Charles…” Arthur whispered, then leaned forward until his forehead rested on Charles’.

“Arthur…” Charles breathed back.

Bea did as she was asked and helped Abigail carry laundry to camp. As she finished dropping off the last few articles of clothing, she heard Mr. Pearson yell out that supper was ready. Those within earshot jumped at the chance to grab some grub.

She felt her stomach growl at the thought of eating dinner. Normally she would eat with Abigail and Jack if her father was out of camp. But he was here and so was her Uncle Charles. She looked towards her and her father’s tent and wondered if she should go tell them dinner was ready. Then they could eat together. She always loved spending time with them. Especially when it was all three of them together. Plus, she knew they had to be hungry after being gone all day. They always seemed to work extra hard compared to everyone else. She even noticed they sometimes didn’t eat dinner at all but would tell people they did if asked. She didn’t understand it at all.

So, she hurried over to the tent and decided to peak in to see if they were done with whatever they were doing. She pulled the flap back slightly and peered inside.

She froze when she saw that her father and Uncle Charles had their heads pressed together. She had never seen them do that before. In fact, the only time she did see someone do that was between her Uncle John and Aunt Abigail, when they thought no one was looking. Bea saw them press their heads together before kissing. Is that what her father and Uncle Charles were going to do…?

“Charles…” she heard her father whisper.

“Arthur…” her Uncle Charles whispered back.

She waited in anticipation to see what would happen next.

“We…we can’t.” Charles pulled away.

She was surprised to see him pull back after the intimate moment they just shared. She focused on her father who now looked very sad. 

She saw him reach up and grip Charles’ hand that was on his neck.

“We can Charles. We can. Our lives…we’re already in danger from the law, bounty hunters, Pinkertons… We’re at risk every day whether we do this or not. So…why not? Why not do this?”

Bea’s eyebrows knitted together at her father’s pleading words. She didn’t understand what he was talking about. Their lives were in danger every day? But he promised he would be okay every time he left camp. And what didn’t her Uncle Charles want them to do that her father did want them to do?

“I won’t be the reason you get killed,” Charles said sternly.

“I was _saved_ today because of you.” Arthur gripped his hand harder. “If you hadn’t been there-”

“Don’t remind me,” Charles bit out.

Bea’s eyes widened.

Her father let out a defeated sigh and dropped his hand from Charles’.

Charles also gave a sad sigh before continuing to rub the salve onto her father’s wound.

“I’m not going anywhere Arthur. You still have me.”

“Not all of you though,” Arthur whispered.

“No,” Charles agreed. “And I don’t have all of you either,” he said slowly.

Bea almost gasped when she saw a tear roll down her Uncle Charles’ face. He was crying?! She couldn’t believe it. He always seemed so brave and strong. She never would have thought he would cry. But why was he crying though? She didn’t understand what they were talking about. Why were they both so upset?

Her father was quick to catch the tear with his thumb. He looked as shocked as Bea felt.

“This hurts me too you know,” Charles’ voice hitched as he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Arthur continued to rub his check with his thumb. He hadn’t realized Charles was as affected by this as him. In some way it made him feel better knowing Charles cared as much as he did. But mostly, it furthered his heartbreak.

“I know,” he soothed. “I know.”

They took a moment to collect themselves before Arthur spoke up again.

“We’re both fools aren’t we?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work though as Charles smiled and huffed in amusement.

“Probably,” he agreed.

After that, Bea slowly closed the flap and backed away from the tent. She had no idea what they were talking about and she hated seeing them both so upset. But whatever it was seemed to be a secret. She’s never seen them act like that in front of the others at camp. Or even in front of her. So, she decided she wouldn’t say anything about it to anyone.

“There ya are,” Abigail walked up to her with Jack trailing behind.

“Let’s get you two some dinner,” Abigail placed her hand on Bea’s shoulder.

Bea let her lead her away but she gave one last glance back at her father’s tent, wondering if the two men inside would be okay. And wondering if she could do anything to fix them being sad.

Bea and Jack ate their dinner with Abigail, and even Karen and Lenny joined them. Over the last few weeks Bea had become accustomed to almost everyone in the gang. And most of them went out of their way to make her feel as welcome as possible. Though she was still wary of some people. People like Micah. But she just did her best to avoid him.

After she ate, she looked towards her father’s tent again. It seemed her father and Uncle Charles were still in there. She deflated at that. She just wanted them to go back to how they normally are. To joke and smile with each other.

She perked up when she saw movement within the tent, then Arthur and Charles emerged and headed towards the campfire. Her eyes followed them as they sat on a log together and greeted the others around the fire. She looked down at the empty bowl in front of her and got an idea.

She got up and threw her dirty bowl in the wash bucket then headed over to the stew pot. She eyed the ladle and the piping hot pot, wondering how she would do this by herself. Normally Abigail or her father dished out her food.

“Hey there wee lass! Need some help with yer food?”

Bea looked up and smiled when she saw her Uncle Sean standing next her. She wasn’t used to calling everyone in camp ‘Aunt’ or ‘Uncle’ but when she met Sean he _insisted_.

“Hi Uncle Sean! Um… I wanna get food for my daddy and Uncle Charles. They haven’t eaten yet. Everyone needs to eat supper! Grandpa Hosea says so.”

Sean smiled and wagged a finger at Bea. “Ah, right ya are lass! Let’s get those boys some food. Can’t have our two best fighters wither down to skin and bones aye?” He winked at her which made her giggle. Her Uncle Sean always said funny things to make her laugh.

She watched as Sean dished out two bowls of stew and handed her one.

“I can carry them both,” she insisted.

Sean gave her a skeptical look but relented and handed her the other bowl carefully.

“Think you can handle it?”

She nodded her head to him.

“Course ya can ha ha!” Sean cheered. “Cause yer strong, just like yer Uncle Sean!”

“Ya!” Bea yelled. She started to slowly shuffle towards the fire keeping her eyes trained on the bowls of stew so she didn’t spill any.

Arthur stared into the flames, drowning out whatever conversation was going on around him. The events of the day weighing heavily on him. He was in no mood to be around people but Charles wouldn’t let him sulk in his tent.

He was thrown back into reality when he felt a nudge on his shoulder. He looked up at Javier who was smiling and lifted his chin past Arthur’s shoulder.

Arthur looked behind him and felt the heaviness of the day float away as he watched his daughter inch her way towards them, juggling to bowls of stew in her hands. She even had her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. Arthur grinned and bumped Charles who turned and smiled as well.

She reached the log and looked up from the two bowls to see her father and Uncle Charles smiling at her.

“Hi Daddy, hi Uncle Charles” she smiled back.

“Hey bumblebee. Whatchu got there?” Arthur asked.

“Food for you and Uncle Charles!” She held out the bowls to the two men. Tilly and Mary-Beth both let out collective ‘awwws’ at the gesture which made Javier and John snicker.

Arthur and Charles ignored them though and graciously accepted the food and thanked her. Arthur helped her settle on the log between him and Charles.

“What did we do to deserve such kind treatment huh Charles?”

Charles smirked, “Absolutely nothing.”

Both men laughed and Bea looked between them with a satisfied smile.

A few hours later Arthur had Bea tucked away on the cot in their tent. The night had winded down and they were both ready to catch some sleep.

Arthur tucked her doll, Sarah, next to Bea knowing the girl wouldn’t be able to fall asleep without it. Once satisfied she was comfortable, he kissed her on the head like he did every night.

“Night bumblebee, love you. Your mama loves you too you know.”

“I know daddy. You tell me every night.”

He chuckled. “Because it’s true. I promised her I would never let you forget how much she loved you.”

“I won’t,” she promised.

“I know.” Arthur smiled and leaned over to turn off the lantern.

“Wait!”

Arthur pulled back and looked at her questioningly.

“Um, are you and Uncle Charles best friends?”

Arthur’s face looked even more confused. “What?”

“Well Uncle Dutch and Grandpa Hosea said they’re the bestest friends in the whole world. And they always sit together and smile at each other. And you and Uncle Charles are together a lot and tell each other jokes and look happy. Just like them.”

Arthur looked stunned. “I- wait, _Grandpa_ Hosea?”

Bea shrugged, “He said I could call him that.”

Arthur smiled and shook his head.

“Well when you put it that way, I guess we are best friends. We…we’re…um,” Arthur struggled to come up with the right words. 

“You love him?”

Arthur nearly choked on the air in his lungs. “Uh…” he looked at Bea who gave him an expectant look.

“I…well this ga- camp is like family, so I love them all. Well, most of them,” he mumbled.

“Even Uncle Charles?” she asked.

Arthur awkwardly cleared his throat, silently begging her to stop asking if he loved Charles.

“Ah…yup, even Uncle Charles.”

“Okay.” Bea seemed placated and snuggled under her blanket.

“Okay,” Arthur drawled out and went to turn the lantern off again.

“Jack is my best friend.”

Arthur hesitated and looked at his daughter again with a smile.

“Is he now?”

“Yup.”

“Well I’m glad to hear it. I’m sure you’re his best friend too.” He kissed her on the head once more and reached for lantern.

“Alright let’s get some shut eye.” He turned the light off and settled into his bedroll.

“I love you daddy,” he heard her tiny voice ring out in the darkness.

“Love you too bumblebee.” He smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really said "cornfield scene but make it ✨gay✨" lol. I think that is one of my favorite Arthur/Charles scenes in the game. It's so dang cute Charles refers to himself as a fool for saving Arthur and not taking the money. 
> 
> Also I headcanon Arthur and Charles are both so selfless they sometimes skip dinner so there's more food for everyone else. Hence, Bea's observation of them not eating sometimes. And of course they would lie about it so people didn't worry. 
> 
> I also like the idea of John and Abigail sharing a few intimate moments together between all the bickering and fighting because deep down they really love each other and sometimes they remember that :)
> 
> Also Dutch and Hosea are "best friends" aka they used to f*ck. And we all know it.
> 
> As always kudos and comments are so appreciated and make my day!


	14. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!
> 
> Another chapter less than one month after the previous one? It's a New Year's miracle! 
> 
> Lol but all jokes aside I'm finding more time to write lately which has been lovey, and I hope to keep it up. I didn't realize on my last post but it's been over a year since I started this story which is crazy. 
> 
> And I'm getting closer and closer to 100,000 words. Woo!
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter and stay safe everyone!
> 
> Tumblr: https://rdr-addict.tumblr.com/

It was another sweltering day in the southern heat as Arthur strode through camp. He was exhausted. The past week or so had been spent carrying out numerous jobs for the Braithwaite and Greys in hopes of scamming them out of some rumored gold. 

Luckily, he had gone through half the day without being roped into some tedious task.

He wandered aimlessly through camp looking for his daughter to see what she was up to. Charles was out of camp doing who-knows-what so he wasn’t around to keep Arthur company.

He didn’t have to look far for Bea when he heard the sound of giggling nearby. He followed the sound and pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing at the sight he stumbled upon.

Bill was passed out in the middle of camp, leaning against one of the crates. He had an empty bottle in his hand so Arthur could only assume the man drunk himself stupid that morning.

What made it amusing though was that Jack and Bea had taken it upon themselves to take advantage of the situation and were placing flowers in the man’s beard and giggling madly. They must have had a dozen or so flowers already sticking out of his beard and Bea had a handful more in her clutch.

Bill started to rouse from the onslaught of flowers and sound of laughter.

“Huh? H-hey, hey! What the hell you kids doin’?” Bill reached up and picked a flower out of his beard with a disgusted look.

Jack and Bea immediately burst into laughter and dodged a sloppy swipe from Bill as he tried to grab them. They wasted no time in running away laughing as Bill struggled to get up.

“Get back here you little demons! When I catch you I’m gonna-”

Arthur quickly strode forward and pressed his boot into Bill’s shoulder and shoved him back down.

“You’re gonna what Mr. Williamson?” he asked lowly.

Bill swallowed nervously. “L-look what they did to me Morgan! They oughta be taught a lesson!”

Arthur rolled his eyes and removed his foot after one more rough shove to Bill.

“Them’s is little kids Bill. Let them have some fun for God’s sake. Besides, your fool ass wouldn’t have woken up with a flowery face if you were actually doin’ any work around here like the rest of us instead of gettin’ drunk before noon.”

Bill had the audacity to look offended. “I do plenty of work around here!”

“Ya, ya, ya. Get off your ass and prove it. And if I catch you being nasty to Jack or Bea you’ll have to answer to me.” Arthur gave him one last threatening look before walking off.

He didn’t get too far before he was approached by Abigail.

“Hey, Arthur.”

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Hosea and John are looking for you. They went out to the moonshine stash, said you knew where that was?”

Arthur nodded.

“They was planning a visit to the Braithwaite place, but John needs to do something for Dutch now so Hosea wants you to join him instead.”

Arthur considered her words before nodding again. “Alright then, thanks. Oh, and um if you wouldn’t mind…” he said awkwardly.

Abigail smiled and shook her head, already knowing what he was asking.

“Yes, I’ll keep an eye on Bea. Honestly Arthur, why you even still asking? You know I don’t mind. Actually, having her here has worked in my favor since she keeps Jack more entertained than I ever could.”

Arthur gave a small sigh. “Thank you, Abigail. For everything. I know she ain’t your responsibility but you’ve really helped me out with her these past few weeks and I appreciate it.”

“Oh Arthur,” she smiled. “You do so much for this gang and for me and Jack. This is the least I can do. Now go find those boys before Hosea comes drag you there himself.”

Arthur smirked and tilted his hat to her. “Yes ma’am.”

He found Bea and told her he would be gone for a few hours, then he went in search of Hosea and John. Once he found them, he could hear them quietly bickering with one another.

“-just saying you need to be smart about this,” he heard Hosea say to an annoyed looking John who was sitting on the back of the wagon.

John looked up and noticed Arthur approaching.

“Arthur,” he greeted, sounding oddly relieved to see him.

“Gentlemen,” Arthur nodded.

“Arthur, glad you’re here son. I need to talk to you and John.” Hosea motioned him forward.

“Here we go…” John sounded annoyed.

Arthur looked between them in confusion. “What?”

“Hosea is talking crazy is what.” Which earned John a light slap on the leg from Hosea.

“Quit it. Now I want you both to listen to me. All I’m trying to say is that I want you both to take some serious consideration of your futures. And think about getting you and your families the hell away from this mess.”

Arthur looked at him a slightly shocked face. “You mean like…leaving the gang? For good?” he asked, surprised.

“See!” John shouted. “He’s talkin’ crazy Arthur. Tell him he’s talkin’ crazy.”

Hosea let out a frustrated sigh. “I know I’ve been berating John for a while to take Abi and Jack away from here, but now I’m doing the same for you Arthur. Your little girl is smart. Her reading level is well past her age and she needs stability with the only parent she’s got left. She deserves to be educated proper. And the same goes for Jack. You two need to give those kids a chance dammit!”

Arthur scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t get it ‘Sea. This is how you and Dutch raised us. You taught us that this…the way we live, is freedom. That we are free. And that above all else, freedom matters most. So why are you saying this to us now? After all these years of fighting for this life. You want us to just…forget it?”

Hosea sighed sadly. “Maybe.”

Arthur and John turned to each other at the same time with concerned looks.

“Dutch…” Hosea continued. “Dutch and I did what we thought was right when we found you boys. We preached to you about what true freedom was and condemned those that didn’t believe what we believed. But maybe we were wrong. Either that, or times have made our fantasy of true freedom just that. A fantasy. You two was starved orphans with nothing in this world when we found you. We gave you food, a basic education, shelter. But we also painted targets on your heads. We forced you to…”

“You didn’t force us to do nothin’ Hosea,” John interjected angrily. “We was destined to die and you saved us. Gave us a family.”

“Yes,” Hosea agreed. “We gave you a family because you didn’t have one. But that came with a price didn’t it? Bounties, scars, damnation. Those kids though…they have what you two didn’t. They got their parents. They don’t need this gang like you did. And…you two don’t need this gang. Not anymore. You have your own families to take care of now.”

A tense silence fell upon them and Arthur found he couldn’t look at Hosea. He turned his head and clenched his jaw as Hosea’s words settled in his brain.

He shook his head and paced a few steps back before scrubbing his hand anxiously over his face and looking at Hosea again.

“The gang is our family Hosea,” he said as a matter of fact. “And I know…that if somethin’ happens to me, the gang can protect Bea. I won’t make her more vulnerable by taking her away from that. If…if I had brought Eliza and Isaac to the gang, they’d still be here. We are better off with the gang.”

Hosea opened his mouth to respond but John quickly changed the subject. 

“You really think we could live an honest life out there? After everything we’ve done?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Hosea nodded a little unsurely. “It’ll be hard sure, but it’s not impossible. Besides, I know I taught you boys how to live off the land well enough you could survive on your own. And anyways, its better than bein’ dead ain’t it?”

Arthur gave an exasperated sigh.

“I can’t just leave the gang. I can’t just leave…” he trailed off and averted his eyes to the ground.

“Take Charles with you.” Hosea responded as if he could read Arthur’s mind.

Arthur’s head snapped back up.

“He and I aren’t…” He trailed off then groaned in frustration at this pointless conversation.

“He wouldn’t want to- Actually, you know what? I don’t even know why we’re still talking about this. It ain’t happening.”

Arthur walked past Hosea to pick up one of the moonshine jugs on the ground. John jumped off the back of the wagon so Arthur could load it up.

Hosea grimaced but knew when Arthur was done with a conversation. Still, he grabbed Arthur’s arm and forced him to stand face to face with him.

He looked both Arthur and John in the eyes.

“Look boys, I’m just saying you need to at least _think_ about this okay? I’m not asking you to pack your things and leave in the dead of night. But maybe…maybe it might be a good idea to be smart with the money you earn and save up in case something happens and you need to take your families and leave.”

John looked between Arthur and Hosea. “You really think something that bad is gonna happen?”

Hosea frowned. “Pinkertons, bounty hunters, lawmen…all after our hides at the same time? I never questioned the safety of this gang more than I do now. And I’ll be damned if those kids get caught up in it.”

Arthur huffed and moved to grab the other jug of moonshine from the ground. “Look Hosea, we just need one more big score and everything will be alright. So, let’s just get this over with, find that gold, and be done with all this nonsense.”

He couldn’t help but inwardly cringe at how much he sounded like Dutch just then.

John shrugged at Hosea with nothing else to add and started walking away. “Alright well, I’m gonna get goin’ now. I’ll leave you fellers to it.”

Hosea waved him off then looked back at the wagon and saw Arthur was already sitting in the driver’s seat waiting for him.

He knew it was no use continuing to try and persuade Arthur to leave so he climbed up alongside him and started explaining his plan for the moonshine.

********************

It was a few days later when Arthur rode into camp with Karen, Bill, and Lenny.

Bill had approached him that morning with the idea of hitting the bank back in Valentine. And while Arthur was initially reluctant to the idea, Karen and Lenny’s confidence in successfully pulling off the job persuaded him to join.

Turns out, that decision made him $2,750 richer. They had hit the bank no problem, and got away clean and easy.

Needless to say, Arthur was in a great mood when they rode into camp.

That mood was only improved when he felt something small crash into legs and scream, “Daddy!”

Arthur laughed and ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Hey bumblebee!”

“Daddy I gotta show you something! Follow me, follow me!”

Bea started tugging on Arthur’s hand, trying with all her might to drag him forward.

“Alright, alright I’m coming,” Arthur chuckled and allowed her to lead him to whatever she wanted to show him.

“Jack and I found him!” Bea said as she pulled him towards the center of camp.

“Him?” Arthur asked. But his question was soon answered when he saw Jack playing with a scraggily looking dog. Charles and Abigail were also standing there, probably making sure the dog was actually safe to be around.

“Look Uncle Arthur! A dog!” Jack ran to Arthur excitedly with the dog following closely behind.

Bea finally dropped Arthur’s hand and ran up to the dog to pet him. “His name is Cain. Uncle Dutch named him!”

“Cain huh?” Arthur smiled and knelt down. “C’mere boy, c’mon!” he whistled to the dog who happily sauntered up to Arthur to receive scratches and praises. 

Arthur stood and allowed Bea and Jack to play with the dog again. He tipped his hat to Abigail and looked up to see Charles smiling at him. Arthur smiled back and nudged his head at Charles to follow him.

They walked over to Arthur’s tent together. Once inside he threw his hat and satchel aside and let out a happy sigh.

“Well, you seem in a good mood,” Charles commented.

Arthur chuckled. “Yes well, pulling off a successful bank robbery never fails to put me in a good mood.”

Charles gave him an inquisitive look so Arthur went into the whole story of how they managed to rob the Valentine bank and get away with the spoils.

“Wow, sounds like you had a busy morning then.”

Arthur hummed and nodded then fell back onto his cot and moaned tiredly. “And now I’m due for a nice long nap.”

He shut his eyes then scrunched up his face and shuffled uncomfortably. He stuck his hand underneath his back then pulled out the object that was digging into his spine.

He put the doll aside and opened one eye to peer at Charles who was looking back at him amused.

“That’s Sarah by the way,” Arthur mumbled then closed his eye again.

Charles just shook his head and smirked. “Get some rest Arthur.”

He was answered by the sound of light snores. He shook his head once more and left the tent, making sure to close the flap so no one interrupted his beauty sleep. 

A few hours later Arthur woke and noticed it was evening time. He scrubbed his eyes and stretched. He hadn’t meant to sleep for so long but he was glad for it considering he had been running himself ragged for days.

He looked down and noticed his satchel. He picked it up and was confused for a moment as to why it was so heavy. Then he remembered the bank job. He quickly opened the satchel and peered at the money overflowing from it.

He emptied the money onto his cot and took a moment to appreciate the ludicrous amount of bills in his possession. His mind ran rampant with ideas for the money. He would give some to the camp, even though the camp share was already divvied out from the take from the bank. He usually gave the camp extra from his own take when he pulled off big jobs like this. He did it so they would have more money to spare for supplies, and not at all because it almost always earned him Dutch’s praise.

He also had his eye on a new rifle he spotted at the Rhodes gun store a few days prior. Bea could also use some more clothes since she really favored those overalls Sadie got her. Arthur could get her a few pairs more, and some shirts. Maybe even some clothes for Jack too. He then thought of Luna and how her saddle blanket was looking a little worse wear. And Charles was just complaining he was low on ammo for his shotgun…

Arthur’s head reeled with the possibilities the money could buy. He pulled out his journal and found a blank space so he could start listing all the things he wanted buy and how much they would cost so he could budget the expenses and see how far the money could take him. 

As he pressed his pencil to paper he heard Hosea’s laughter ring out from somewhere in camp. Suddenly the older man’s words from a few days ago floated into Arthur’s head…

_Be smart with the money you earn and save up in case something happens_

_…take your families and leave_

Arthur clenched his fist around his pencil. He had pushed the conversation out of his head as soon as it ended. The thought of leaving…it brought back bad memories. Memories of him almost leaving the gang to be with Mary all those years ago. Memories of how guilty he felt when he returned to camp, heartbroken and ashamed. Those memories now fostered newfound guilt at not being with Mary when she was with his child and the years following. And the cruel reality that no matter what choice he made, someone would have been hurt. Hurt because of him. Because he thought he could belong outside the gang. 

So, when Hosea proposed he leave…well Arthur didn’t want to hear a word of it.

He thought about Charles and wondered what he would say about it. The fear of him agreeing with Hosea was too great a risk for Arthur to even consider telling Charles about it. If anything, Charles would agree whole heartedly and do everything in his power to send Arthur and Bea on their way if it meant they were safe. Charles though…he wouldn’t join them. No, he would say the three of them being together looked too suspicious so he would…what? Just disappear? Stay with the gang?

All of it hurt too much to think about.

Either way, Arthur didn’t see how that situation would end with the three of them being together at all. Not like they are now.

So…telling Charles was not an option. Still, Hosea’s words of caution lingered in his head and it wasn’t like Arthur to not heed Hosea’s gut feelings.

With that thought, Arthur frustratingly snapped his journal shut and gazed at the money. He opened his chest, pulling everything out until it was nearly empty. He pocketed just one hundred bucks from the money pile then took the rest and wrapped it in an old shirt and placed it at the bottom of the chest. He then shoved everything else back in and snapped it shut with a sigh.

He placed his hat on his head before leaving his tent. Down by the shore he noticed Bea and Jack playing so he headed in their direction. As he watched them play, he started to feel guilty with the realization that he hadn’t spent much time with his daughter recently due to all the running around he’d been doing for Dutch.

“Tag you’re it!” Bea yelled as she gave Jack’s arm a light slap and started running away. Jack quickly gave chase with Cain running around between them, not a clue as to what was happening but happy to be part of it nonetheless.

Arthur chuckled and saw Bea light up when she noticed him standing there. She abandoned her game and ran straight to him.

“Hi daddy!” she hugged his legs and looked up at him with a beaming smile. “You were asleep for a long time. Uncle Charles said you needed rest though so I didn’t bug you.”

Arthur chuckled, “Sorry bumblebee, guess I was pretty tired.” He bent down to pick her up. When he lifted her though he couldn’t help the grunt that came out as his tired body strained to hoist her up.

Once up, he felt her wrap her arms around his neck and hug him. Arthur sighed contently and tightened his hold, relishing in the feeling of having his sweet girl in his arms.

“Sorry I’ve been so busy and haven’t spent much time with you bumblebee. You doing alright?”

Bea nodded against his shoulder, “It’s okay daddy. I’ve been having fun with Jack.”

“I can see that,” he laughed. “Still, how about you and me go for a little ride on Luna tomorrow? Just the two of us.”

Bea pulled back and looked at him excitedly. “Ya!”

“Ha gotcha! Tag!” he suddenly heard Jack yell from below as he swatted at Bea’s leg then ran away.

Bea immediately wriggled to get down, “Hey no fair! That’s cheating!”

Arthur laughed loudly and gave Bea a quick peck on the cheek before releasing her to chase Jack.

He looked to the campfire and noticed a decent gathering of people. So he grabbed a beer and joined them.

Of course the news of the Valentine robbery had spread to everyone in camp so when Arthur joined the fire he was asked to tell his version of the story.

Everyone laughed at the part where Karen pretended to be a drunk wife looking for her no good husband as a distraction. It was especially funny when she reenacted the scene for everyone to see.

The night went on and eventually Bea made her way over the fire to be with her father. Arthur happily lifted her onto his lap as they all sat around, now lost in different conversations with one another. At one point Jack wondered over and looked at Arthur and Bea with a lost look on his face.

Arthur’s heart ached at the sight and he made coughing noises to get John’s attention who was sitting a few feet away from him.

John eventually noticed and gave Arthur an annoyed _what???_ face.

Arthur flicked his eyes over to Jack then gestured to himself holding Bea and gave him a look like, _See what I’m doing? Your turn idiot._

John huffed quietly and continued glaring daggers at Arthur until he looked over at Jack and his gaze softened slightly.

“H-hey Jack,” he greeted the young boy awkwardly.

Jack looked up with a slight startle at being greeted by his father.

“Oh, hi Pa,” he said shyly.

“You uh…” Arthur rolled his eyes at how horrible John was at this. “You wanna come sit?” He asked the young boy, gesturing to the empty space next to him.

“Okay,” Jack walked over and sat closely next to John.

John slowly wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulders, “So, how ya doin’ kid?” Arthur held back another eye roll.

“I’m fine,” Jack responded happily.

John then looked to Arthur with a lost face like, _now what?_

Arthur gave him a deadpanned look and decided no amount of silent conversation could help John now.

“So Jackie why don’t you tell your pa about what you found today,” Arthur helped him along.

Jack’s face immediately lit up. “Me and Bea found a dog Pa! His name is Cain. He played tag with us but now he’s over there sleeping next to Uncle.”

Arthur looked and sure enough the dog was curled up next to Uncle who was passed out drunk against the food wagon. He probably had no idea the dog was even there.

“Oh ya I thought I saw that mutt around earlier,” John muttered. Jack then went into the details of how his day with Cain went and the games he played with Bea. Bea chimed in too and whenever the conversation seemed to die down and John looked lost again Arthur would find some way to bring it back to life.

John eventually surprised him when he started telling Jack his own stories about things he did as a kid and critters he used to play with. Abigail wondered over at one point to take Jack to bed but once she realized John was keeping him entertained, she walked away so as to not interrupt John’s first real attempt at bonding with the boy. 

“This one time I snuck a racoon into camp and old Dutch nearly-”

“John,” Arthur interrupted him. “He’s asleep.” He gestured to Jack who was leaning into his father’s side mouth agape and eyes shut.

“O-oh, guess I should…”

“Take him to bed?” Arthur supplied.

“Ya.” He awkwardly, yet gingerly, lifted Jack into his arms and walked him over to Abigail’s tent where she sat fiddling with her sewing. Arthur watched as Abigail helped John get Jack tucked away into his bedroll. Then they both stood together and stared at the young boy, exchanging words that Arthur could not hear. Abigail smiled at John and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Even from where he sat, Arthur could tell John was flustered by the act. They exchanged a few more words before John departed and surprisingly went to his tent instead of back to the campfire.

“That was interesting,” Charles’ voice rose up out of nowhere.

Arthur looked and saw he was sitting in the spot John had been occupying.

He gave him a smile. “He’s a dumbass.”

Charles chuckled. “Maybe so, but at least he’s trying.”

“Only because I made him,” Arthur scoffed.

“Ya well…” Charles took a sip of his drink without finishing his sentence. “Anyways, Jack isn’t the only one who needs to go to bed.” He gestured to Bea who was dead asleep in Arthur’s arms.

“I know,” Arthur chuckled. “She fell asleep almost an hour ago but I felt John needed all the help he could get. Should get her to bed though. Promised I would take her for a ride tomorrow. Better to do it in the morning before Dutch makes me do God-knows-what.”

Charles hummed in agreement. “I should hit the hay too. Was gonna get up early to hunt.”

“Oh yeah?” Arthur shifted Bea around since he felt his arm starting to fall asleep. “You after anything specific?”

“Just the usual,” Charles shrugged. “I’d invite you, but well…you know.”

Arthur chuckled. “Yes, I’ve been a busy man as of late. Wish I could. Been a while since we hunted together.”

“Yeah…” Charles trailed off.

“Alright well,” Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m gonna get this little troublemaker to bed.”

“Don’t forget to Bea to bed too,” Charles commented.

Arthur froze, taking a second to register the joke. “Oh ha, ha.” He fought off a smirk.

He struggled to stand with the weight of Bea in his arms but got to his feet nonetheless.

“Night Charles.”

“Night Arthur.”

Arthur carried Bea to their tent and got her settled in bed with her doll. He kissed her goodnight and told her he loved her even though she wasn’t awake to hear it.

His eyes then landed on the chest sitting in the corner and he thought of the mound of cash within.

He sighed heavily and turned the light off before collapsing onto his bedroll and drifting off to sleep.

********************

Come morning, Arthur and Bea were both awake and excited to go on their ride together. Arthur noticed Charles and Taima were already gone. Unfortunate, since he wanted to wish the man good luck with hunting.

Arthur asked Kieran to get Luna ready while him and Bea grabbed some breakfast. Luckily, they woke early enough that most people were still sound asleep. Though Hosea was already at one of the tables reading the newspaper, and he could hear Dutch and Micah plotting something in Dutch’s tent. A regular occurrence as of late.

Arthur only hoped he could escape before Dutch opened his tent and saw him trying to leave. 

They were so close to freedom when Dutch suddenly yelled out for Arthur from his tent.

Arthur groaned and looked down at Bea who gave him a confused look.

“Sorry bumblebee. Why don’t you ask Mr. Duffy if he could help you feed the horses some treats while I go see what your Uncle Dutch wants. I’ll just be a few minutes okay?”

“Okay!” Bea got excited at the prospect of feeding the horses treats since that was one of her favorite things to do. At this point Arthur trusted Kieran enough to leave Bea with him for a short time.

“Mornin’ Dutch,” Arthur greeted the leader. He ignored the fact that Pearson and Micah were also standing there looking way too enthusiastic for Arthur’s liking.

“Arthur,” Dutch acknowledged. “You busy?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I was just about to take Bea out for a ride since I ain’t seen much of her lately.” He couldn’t help but say it with a passive aggressive tone since Dutch was the reason he had been so busy.

“So you’d rather babysit some kid than do something that actually matters? Well not all of us have the luxury of slacking off like you just cause you have a brat running around.”

Arthur immediately got in Micah’s face and squared up to him. “You better watch your mouth snake, while you still have all your teeth.”

“Alright boys settle down.” Dutch got between them before looking at Arthur. “I have to agree a little with Mr. Bell on this one. C’mon son, you used to be a man of action!”

Arthur threw his hands up in defeat and scoffed. “What’s going on exactly?” He asked impatiently.

“What’s going on Morgan, is peace.” Micah slithered closer to Dutch.

“Okay?” Arthur wanted to wrap this up as quickly as possible and get back to his daughter.

“Peace with Colm,” Dutch elaborated.

Arthur gave a sarcastic laugh.

“It’s true Arthur. We already talked it over,” Pearson spoke up. “They want to parley.”

“They want to parley?” Hosea’s voice spoke up. “It’s a trap.”

“Well of course its…probably a trap, but what have we got to lose finding out?” Micah said next to Dutch.

“Get shot.” Arthur said simply.

“We ain’t gettin’ shot cause you’ll be protecting us. If it’s a trap, you shoot the lot of them,” Micah stated simply.

Dutch nodded in agreement then seemed to consider the whole situation before looking to Micah with a determined gaze. 

“Let’s go. The two of us will meet Colm and Arthur will protect us. No one else.”

Dutch and Micah started to walk off while Arthur stood there dumbfounded. He rushed up to Dutch.

“You mean right now? Dutch, I just told you have plans to-”

“You can go for a joy ride later. I need you son.” Dutch gave Arthur a pat on the shoulder and continued walking, signaling that the discussion was over.

“God dammit,” Arthur cursed under his breath. This was the last thing he wanted to do. And now he had to disappoint his daughter on top of it all.

He followed Dutch and Micah to the horses where Kieran and Bea were. From the look on Bea’s face, she knew something was up.

He knelt down to her. “Hey darlin.’ I gotta go help Dutch and Micah with something right now but I promise as soon as I get back we can go on a ride.”

“What? You’re leaving?” Bea looked crushed.

Arthur pulled her in for a quick hug. “I’m sorry bumblebee but this is real important. It should only take a coupl’a hours at most. I’ll come back as soon as possible for you.”

Bea pouted but seemed to accept it. “Promise?” she asked.

“Promise,” Arthur kissed her forehead and ruffled her head before standing up and mounting Luna.

“Why don’t you go sit with Hosea for a little while,” Arthur suggested.

Bea, too crestfallen to respond did as she was told and headed back towards camp.

Arthur watched her leave and felt like the biggest piece of shit ever.

“Let’s ride!” Dutch yelled and him and Micah took off. With reluctance, Arthur kicked Luna forward to join them.

About two hours passed and Bea found herself sitting with Lenny while he helped her with her reading. Hosea had left to do something for the Braithwaite’s. Bea wasn’t in the mood to play with Jack so she sat on her own waiting in anticipation for her father to come back. Lenny took notice of the sad-looking girl and asked her what was wrong. After she told him he offered to sit with her until Arthur came back. He pulled out one of his books for them to read to pass the time.

At the sound of horse hooves approaching, Bea looked up with hope in her eyes. When she realized it was Dutch and Micah she got even more excited.

“Looks like they’re back,” Lenny smiled. But after a few seconds of no Arthur, he was confused. “Huh, where’s Arthur at?”

Bea just shrugged at him.

Lenny watched as Dutch went straight to his tent. Micah seemed to linger around the horses so Lenny called him over.

“What do you want kid?” he spat. “Or should I say kids?” he snickered while eyeing Bea.

Lenny ignored the insult. “Where’s Arthur?”

“How should I know?” Micah asked like he was offended.

“He was with you wasn’t he?”

“For a little, sure,” Micah shrugged nonchalantly. “But he spilt off from me and Dutch a while back. Probably on one of his little adventures,” he mocked.

“He didn’t tell you where he was going?” Lenny raised a brow at him.

Micah let out an annoyed sigh. “Listen kid, I don’t got a clue where he is. Feel free to go look for him yourself if you want.”

Micah walked away, leaving Lenny nothing but confused. He looked down at Bea who was looking at him with a seriously miserable face.

“But…he promised he would come back as soon as possible to take me on a ride. He promised…”

“I’m sure he’s on his way back now. Arthur isn’t one for breaking promises. Micah was probably just being an as- er…being mean. Let’s just keep waiting for him.”

Bea reluctantly agreed and the two went back to their reading.

After another two hours went by Lenny became suspicious. Especially when he saw John and Dutch get into an argument before John stomped away angrily.

He decided to see what was up. He passed Bea onto Mary-Beth who gladly took over and started setting up a game of dominos for them to play.

“John, what’s going on? Is something wrong?” Lenny asked as John sat fuming near the lake shore.

“Oh, hey Lenny. No…yes. I don’t know, maybe. Hosea told me this morning that Dutch, Micah, and Arthur left to go meet up with Colm to make peace I guess.”

Lenny gave him a skeptical look.

“I know, that’s how I felt too,” John said. “Anyways, when I saw Dutch and Micah come back and not Arthur, I went to see what was up. Dutch said he sent Arthur to be their lookout while the meeting went down. I guess all Colm did was say a few things then rode off. Arthur didn’t meet them back at their rendezvous spot so Dutch and Micah came back without him.”

“That…sounds suspicious,” Lenny said with worry.

“I know!” John sounded exasperated. “But when I said that to Dutch, he just…told me everything was fine. That Arthur probably went galivanting off like he does sometimes. But I don’t know, it just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Lenny nodded in agreement. “Ya especially when he promised Beatrice he would come back as soon as possible to take her for a ride today.”

John looked surprised. “What?”

“Ya, I’ve been sitting with her all day waiting for him to get back. She said he promised her he would be back as soon as possible.”

“Shit, I knew somethin’ was wrong. It’s been hours since they got back! Arthur wouldn’t tell his daughter that if he didn’t mean it. I’m gonna go talk to Dutch again.”

Lenny watched as John stomped over to Dutch’s tent. Then stomped back after having yet another, louder yelling match with Dutch.

“I take it that didn’t go well,” Lenny commented.

John looked to be at his wits’ end. “He ain’t listening to me! And I guess he already knew Arthur was supposed to take Bea riding but he doesn’t think that’s concerning enough to go look for him!”

“So what do we do?” Lenny asked.

John just sighed,” I don’t know. He wouldn’t even tell me where they met with Colm. Said it’s too risky to go back there so soon.”

With nothing else left to say, the two men could do nothing but give each other worried looks and hope their gut feelings were wrong.

Charles rode into camp a few hours later. By then the sky had started to darken with rainclouds from yet another southern storm. They seemed to always pop-up out of nowhere which is not something Charles appreciated when he was out hunting. Luckily he was able to get two deer before the imminent downpour began.

He dismounted and noticed Luna was missing. He hoped that if Bea and Arthur were still on their ride that they got back soon before the storm hit.

He dropped his kills off to Pearson and noticed the camp was eerily quiet. Seemed like no one was really mulling about doing chores or other various activities that normally took place. He supposed people were bracing themselves for the storm. He saw Grimshaw and Karen tying some of the canvases down tighter.

He was surprised though to see Arthur’s tent flaps down. He didn’t think the man was in camp. They were usually tied up when he was gone.

He was even more surprised when he saw John emerge, looking a little worse for wear. As soon as John spotted him his eyes lit up and he motioned for Charles to come over.

As Charles approached the tent he could hear light sobs from within. Coupled with the serious look on John’s face, Charles knew something was wrong.

“What’s the matter?”

John bit his lip nervously before responding. “It’s Arthur.”

Charles’ heart dropped and he immediately felt sick to his stomach.

“He’s missing,” John supplied before Charles could think the worse. 

It did little to make Charles feel better though. “What happened?” he asked darkly.

John filled him in on everything that had happened. Charles confirmed that he knew Arthur was supposed to take Bea for a ride and that he would never purposefully go back on his promise to her. He could feel the rage building within him at the fact Dutch and Micah just left Arthur.

“Hosea?” Charles asked, knowing he would want to know what was happening.

“He was doing something with the Braithwaite’s today. Probably saw the storm comin’ and decided to stay in town.”

Charles hummed and looked down in thought.

“Can you try and help us with her?” John suddenly pleaded. “She ain’t taking this well.”

Charles was reminded of the sobs coming from the tent. He didn’t need to be asked twice before he went in and saw the most heartbreaking thing.

Bea was clutching Abigail and sobbing into her chest, wailing that she just wanted her daddy. Abigail was shushing her and trying her best to sooth the poor girl but she was inconsolable.

“Charles,” Abigail greeted him softly.

As soon as the name left her lips Bea turned her attention to him.

“U-uncle Charles?” she hiccupped out.

“Hey Bea,” he approached slowly and sat on the other end of the of the cot.

Abigail and Charles both let out noises of surprise when Bea suddenly threw herself into his arms and resumed sobbing.

“I don’t know where my daddy is,” she cried into him.

Charles’ heart shattered. “I know,” he held her to him and tried soothing her as best he could. “It’s okay,” he lied.

He held her in silence for a long while as she continued sobbing and crying out for her daddy. Eventually the sobs became too much for him.

“I need to go look for him.”

“No!” Bea cried out. “W-what if you don’t come back either?! Don’t leave me!”

Before Charles could respond, loud booms of thunder sounded overhead along with the sound of water droplets hitting the canvas.

Bea whimpered at the sound and shrunk further into Charles. It brought back the memories of the night her mother died, when her and Arthur rode through a similar storm to get to Rhodes.

The rain quickly grew into a full downpour and with sun now set, it was pitch black outside.

Abigail sighed and rubbed Bea’s back. “No one is goin’ out in that storm tonight.”

Charles looked like he wanted to protest but John beat him to it.

“She’s right. You won’t be able to see anything and might get yourself hurt. Then where would we be? Maybe…maybe Arthur did go do something after the meeting then saw the storm comin’ and decided to make camp or something.”

Charles and Abigail both gave him doubtful stares but said nothing so they wouldn’t upset Bea further.

“Fine,” Charles relented. “But I’m going as soon as its light again. Storm or no storm.”

John and Abigail both nodded in agreement.

“John, why don’t you go check on the boy? I left him in your tent with Tilly.” Abigail suggested.

“Oh, um sure…” John ducked out into the rain leaving Charles and Abigail to deal with Bea.

She continued to clutch onto Charles for dear life as she hiccupped and whimpered through her tears. After a while, all the strength she had dissipated and she grew limp in Charles’ arms.

The two adults settled her down on the cot and tucked her in. Charles made sure to tuck her doll in next to her after remembering Arthur say she couldn’t sleep without it.

Abigail looked lost in thought as she stared down at Bea sleeping.

“Abigail,” Charles drew her attention away from the little girl. “It’s okay, I’ll stay with her. You go be with your family.”

She looked hesitant at first but nodded. She knew Charles was the one Bea wanted anyway.

“Thank you. You should get some rest too,” she gestured to Arthur’s bedroll on the ground.

He shook his head. “I don’t think I can sleep. I-I’m…”

“I know,” she sighed. She gathered him into her arms much to Charles’ surprise.

“I know how much he means to you. And I know you mean everything to him. You and Bea.”

Charles slowly returned the hug but once he realized how much he needed the comfort he melted slightly into the embrace.

She pulled back and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. “Arthur is strong, and he’ll do anything to come back to you and Bea.”

Charles did his best to smile, “I know. Thank you.”

“If you need anything during the night let me or John know.”

Charles nodded and thanked her again before she slipped out of the tent.

With just him and Bea now, he pulled up a chair and sat next to the cot. All he could do was stare blankly at the canvas walls while he impatiently waited for dawn. His mind was a jumble of thoughts and he couldn’t decide if he was feeling more scared or angry.

He looked at Bea whose eyes were scrunched up in worry, even in sleep. He wished he could do more to ease her pain.

Another loud roll of thunder went by and she yelped. Charles quickly soothed her by rubbing her head softly. He was suddenly very aware of the fact that he had no idea what he was doing. He’s never taken care of young child like this before, especially not alone.

He withdrew his hand which caused Bea to tiredly cry out and reach for his hand back. He allowed her to clutch his arm to her as she drifted back into a light slumber.

The night continued in a similar manner. Sometimes Charles would drift off in that uncomfortable chair, only to be woken by Bea crying out for him. He would do his best to sooth her back to sleep each time. He figured whatever he was doing, he was doing it right since she always calmed relatively quickly.

Eventually the storm subsided and all he had to do was wait for the first sign if light.

As soon as he saw the world painted in the dark blue hue at the start of dawn, he was on the move. He gave Bea one last somber look then headed out. He reluctantly woke Abigail to let her know he was leaving and to please look after Bea. Then he headed to Taima and started prepping her to ride.

“Where the hell you goin’ at this hour?” he heard a snake-like voice behind him.

While the voice immediately made Charles clench his fists and grit his teeth, he was also relieved. If only because it saved him the time of hunting the man down himself.

He turned to face Micah with a murderous glare. “I’m going to look for Arthur. And you’re coming with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending on a cliffhanger there. Dun, dun, dun!!! Alas we have reached the dreaded mission. 
> 
> As for the rest of the chapter, I like the idea of John and Arthur being able to silently communicate with each other having grown up with one another. I feel like that is such a sibling thing to do lol. And of course I had to include Arthur teaching John how to be a good father because why the heck not. Jack deserves it. 
> 
> Btw as I'm sure you all noticed by now, I tend to refer to the missions only vaguely in this story unless I change them from canon for the plot's sake. So just wanted to clarify that. 
> 
> Also sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes, I edited this pretty late and I was tired haha...oops.
> 
> As always kudos and comments are appreciated so much!


	15. Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay a continuation of last chapter's cliffhanger!
> 
> So this chapter is pretty much purely Charles' POV and his journey looking for Arthur. Mind the added blood and gore tag which is prevalent in this chapter. 
> 
> Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes since I edited this pretty late at night (once again lol).

“I ain’t goin’ anywhere with you redskin.”

Before he could blink, Charles had Micah pinned up against a tree, holding him there by the collar of his shirt.

“Call me that one more time Micah, and even Dutch won’t be able to save you.”

“Is that a threat?” Micah spat.

“No. It’s a promise,” Charles practically snarled.

A few tense seconds passed as the two men stared each other down. Then Micah let out that sadistic laugh of his and grinned creepily.

“You are funny big man. Very funny. Why the hell should I go with you?”

Charles released his grip on Micah. “You and Dutch were the last people to see him. I need you to show me where this supposed meeting took place.”

“And what will I get in return for doing you this _kind_ favor?” Micah asked.

Charles crossed his arms and stared him down. “Well…if you want, we can stay here and wait for Hosea to show up so you and Dutch can explain exactly why his son is missing after meeting up with Colm O'Driscoll. He should be due back this morning. I’m sure he will want to have a word with you. And I will definitely make sure that happens.”

A surprised look crossed Micah’s features for a split second before he pretended to consider the task.

“Fine, I’ll take you to the meeting spot. But don’t expect me to go looking for the lost cowpoke once we get there.”

“Didn’t want you to in the first place,” Charles said as he mounted Taima. “Something tells me the art of tracking is not part of your skill set.”

“Oh don’t you worry about my ‘skill set’ Charlie boy. I’m capable of more than you think,” he taunted as he settled on Baylock.

“Whatever.” Charles was getting sick of listening to him talk. “Let’s just go already.”

Micah hummed lowly. “Follow me.”

By the time Micah led Charles to the meeting spot, the sun had fully risen in the sky. On the ride there Charles said nothing to Micah. His mind was focused on finding on Arthur. He was concerned by how muddy the roads were from the storm last night. Meaning it would be that much harder to track him down.

“Slow down here,” Micah instructed.

Charles slowed down on the path. “Here?” he questioned with an unbelievable tone. It seemed like a conspicuous spot for two infamous gang leaders to meet.

“No,” Micah drawled. “This is just where Arthur broke off from us. He went up that ridge there while Dutch and I went on the plain to meet Colm. Arthur wasn’t even the one in danger so I don’t know what this fixation of yours is finding him. Seems kinda…odd. You carin’ so much.”

He gave Charles an unsettling grin.

“He’s my friend,” Charles said simply. Making sure to show the other man as little emotion as possible. “And he has a daughter who needs him.”

“Hmm sure. Well, I did what you wanted so if you’ll excuse me…” Micah turned his horse around and started heading back the way they came.

“I’m gonna go drum up some new leads while you play hide and seek with Arthur. Someone in this gang actually needs to make us some money.”

Charles couldn’t hide the disgusted look on his face as he watched Micah ride away. No doubt he was just going to go get drunk in a bar if only to avoid Hosea’s imminent return to camp.

He really did not like that man.

But he had more important things to focus on now.

He rode up the ridge and took survey once he was at the top. If Micah said the meeting took place on the plain and Arthur was the lookout, then he would have set up where he had a clear shot at Colm and his men.

He dismounted and walked towards the cliff area. His eyes were trained on the ground looking for any clue that Arthur was there. He walked along the ledge for almost an hour and saw nothing. And the only horse tracks that led up to the ledge were from his own horse. He knew in the back of his mind the rain from the night before could have erased any trace of Arthur that had been there.

Still, his gut told him to keep searching. From the top of the ridge he surveyed his surroundings. He noticed another ridge stood a short distance away and would have also offered Arthur the vantage point he needed.

He mounted Taima and rode back down to the path then towards the other ridge.

He watched the road for any tracks as he went. There were definitely horse tracks on the path but that could have been from anyone in the last 24 hours.

His heartbeat quickened though when he picked out faint tracks breaking off from the path and up the other ridge. He followed them immediately.

When he reached the top, it took him all of one second to spot several horse prints and even some faint boot prints, but there were more than one set. He walked up to the edge and knelt down to see if he could pick out any disturbances in the dirt.

It was hard to tell because of the rain, but he could still see them. Drag marks. Something or someone was dragged away from the edge.

He peered out towards the plain. It was the perfect spot to gain high ground on the meeting spot. It all clicked.

Arthur was here. Arthur was ambushed. Arthur was taken.

Charles stood in silence. Not even the sounds of birds could be heard in the distance. Nothing but the whistle of wind traveling across the plain.

He clenched his fists in anger when he realized Micah lied about where Arthur was during the meeting. Either that, or he forgot which spot Arthur broke off from. Charles could bet which was likelier.

He debated his next move. He could go back to camp and tell them what he found. But that would waste precious time he could be using to track these monsters. Plus, he’s not sure Dutch would even act knowing this information. It’s not like he could bring him proof.

He huffed to himself quietly and studied the ground closely. He took survey of the area littered with prints and eventually found where they broke away and continued away from the ledge.

He looked up from the tracks and whistled for Taima. He rode slowly along the tracks, having to stop several times when he thought he lost them. The O’Driscolls seemed to have avoided the main roads which would have otherwise covered their trail. Instead, they kept to the rolling hills and plains. There were obviously several riders which made them that much easier to follow.

After hours of tracking, Charles could see an abandoned camp directly ahead of the trail. The place he reached seemed noticeably drier than where he started. A sign that the storm either hadn’t been as strong here, or didn’t even go over the area at all.

He pulled out his binoculars and surveyed the area.

It was empty, and he could see the remnants of a campfire burnt into the ground. He put his binoculars away and galloped towards it.

Upon closer inspection he confirmed there was recently a fire. No smolders though so it was probably a day old. He also noticed a plethora of empty bottles and other various items littered throughout the clearing.

Charles dismounted and started searching the area for any signs of Arthur.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he came upon a dark patch stained into the dirt. He could tell right away it was blood. 

He knelt and ran a tentative hand over the area. His eyes also caught onto the bits of shredded fabric scattered around him.

There was obviously a blast of some sort. Likely from a close range gunshot. His stomach turned with the thought of Arthur being on the receiving end of such a blow. He entertained the thought of Arthur being able to overpower his captors for a short time and take a shot at one of them. But he would not have gotten far if that was the case. And they certainly would not treat him kindly afterwards. So, whether Arthur was the one doing the shooting or getting shot, it was not a good sign.

He looked up from the patch of blood and scanned the ground for any other signs of a struggle.

His eyes roamed over a bush then back again once his brain registered the sight of something amiss. He almost didn’t catch it. The one damning piece of evidence that showed Arthur had without a doubt been there. The sight of it seizing Charles as a whirlwind of thoughts swarmed through his mind.

Slowly, he lifted himself up and took the few steps needed to reach the bush. He stared down at it silently before plucking Arthur’s hat from where it was tangled in its branches.

He held the hat with both hands, studying it to make sure he was seeing correctly. But there was no mistake that it was Arthur’s. It was as unique as the man who owned it.

He ran his thumbs over the worn leather and fixed the strings on it which had become tangled.

Now he was certain that Arthur was in serious trouble and needed to be found before it was too late. If it wasn’t too late already.

He clenched his jaw at that thought.

That won’t happen. Not as long as he had something to say about it. Time was of the essence he wanted to waste no more of it.

He secured Arthur’s hat to Taima then quickly picked up their trail once more and followed it.

The trail led him west, close to where their previous camp at Horseshoe Overlook was. He reached a narrow part of the Dakota River. He rode across its shallow waters and was immediately filled with dread when he reached the other side and found that the trail did not continue. Those sneaky bastards must have ridden through the water for a while to cover their tracks. He didn’t think the O’Driscoll’s were smart enough to do that.

Now he was faced with a choice. A chance. A chance at being able to pick up their trail again or ride in the complete opposite direction that they went. North. Or south.

He looked left then right. Silently praying to any deity that would listen that he was about to make the right choice. He pulled Taima to the north. As far as he knew, the O’Driscolls were dwelling in the areas north so he figured that would be his best bet.

He rode alongside the river, constantly checking for new tracks leading from the water. The sun was starting to set and he knew he was running out of time. Trying to track them at night would be nearly impossible. Not to mention he hadn’t slept at all the night before and had woken up early to hunt the night before last. His body screamed at him for rest but he did everything possible to ignore it.

He rode further and further north with no sign of them. Sure he stumbled upon a few tracks but they were from lone riders or wagons, not a group.

The hope at finding Arthur soon slowly dwindled the longer he went with no sign. He was starting to think he made a huge mistake by going north instead of south.

The sun was nearly set when he saw rising smoke a little ways from the river. After debating with himself if it was worth checking out, he decided he would get a closer look without getting _too_ close.

He rode to a spot a little ways away and could see there were a few men gathered round with horses and even a wagon. He fished out his binoculars once again and focused in on them.

There was only one man facing him but he had a clear view of him. And a clear view of the green bandana tied around the man’s neck.

O’Driscoll’s.

Once he realized, he frantically looked around the rest of the camp for any sign of Arthur. He couldn’t see any at first glance but that didn’t mean they were useless to him.

If he could catch just one of them, he could see if they know anything about where Arthur was. He just needed one.

He rode a little closer but not close enough to be spotted. He discounted Taima and moved towards them silently. Now he could definitely hear the Irish accents carrying in the wind.

He studied them for a few minutes to scope out the number of men before he would attack. He didn’t like killing unless provoked but this was the only lead he had for finding Arthur. He could feel that familiar veil of rage lurking within him as he thought about them taking Arthur, beating him, shooting him…Taking him away from his daughter. From him.

He grit his teeth angrily.

_Focus_

He reminded himself.

He set his eyes on his targets with determination. There were five men. One was definitely younger than the rest. Just out of boyhood by Charles’ judgement. He would be the best one to interrogate. Young, stupid, and scared. And if he told him what he wanted, Charles could let him go with a halfhearted threat to kill him if he ever saw him again.

He settled on that plan and moved closer to strike.

Two of the O’Driscolls’ stood side by side, facing the fire at the center of their camp. Charles silently pulled out some throwing knives. He would have to move quick. Once these two were down the others would be fight back.

He held the knives steadily. He took aim and before either man could react, they had knives imbedded in the backs of their necks.

“What the hell!”

“Shit!”

The two older men who were still alive pulled their handguns out and started shooting in Charles’ direction.

He quickly shot back with his sawed-off shotgun and landed a blow to the stomach of the man on the left who fell with a bloody cry.

“Peter!” The youngest man cried out for his fellow gang member. He hadn’t moved from when Charles took down the first two men. Didn’t even raise a weapon. He was frozen in fear. Definitely the one he wanted to interrogate.

The other man however was raining bullets down on Charles who took cover behind a rock. He reached up to take a shot but was immediately hit in the arm with something. He cried out and returned to cover.

He inspected the gash on his arm from where the O’Driscoll’s bullet grazed him.

“You’re gonna fuckin’ pay you piece of shit!” The Irish man shouted at him. “Get out here now so I can finish you off!”

Charles tried taking a few opportunities to shoot back but missed every shot. But as far as he could tell, the young man still wasn’t shooting back.

“James! W-what should I do?” The young man shouted to the one shooting at Charles.

“Dammit Riley! Get your gun and start shoo-”

The O’Driscoll was cut off when Charles seized his opportunity to take him out and landed a shot right to his head. Downright obliterating it and sending blood and brain matter across the tent canvas behind him.

“James!!!” The boy screamed in terror.

Charles came out from cover and the last remaining O’Driscoll took one look at him and bolted.

“Stop!” Charles yelled but it obviously did nothing.

Instead of chasing him on foot Charles whistled for Taima who quickly ran to him. He mounted her and set off after the O’Driscoll.

It didn’t take him long to catch up and he nudged Taima into the running boy, forcing him to fall to the ground hard.

He quickly jumped down and was on the boy in a split second.

“Please don’t kill me! I don’t want to die!” The boy begged under Charles rough grasp.

“Then you’re going to do exactly what I tell you,” Charles growled at him.

The boy nodded shakily.

“I need information and you’re going to give it to me. And if you lie to me, I will end you! Got it!” Charles screamed at the boy.

“Okay! Okay!” he trembled.

“Where did your gang take Arthur Morgan?!”

“W-who?”

Charles landed a blow to the young man’s face. He held back his strength though. Hard enough to give him a black eye but not do any serious damage. Still, the O’Driscoll cried out pathetically.

“Arthur Morgan!” Charles repeated.

“Please I don’t know who that-”

Charles growled and held his fist up again, making the young man flinch and whimper.

“Your boss, Colm, met up with Dutch van der Linde yesterday and Arthur Morgan was with him. Your people took him and I want to know where he is!” Charles shook him roughly. His patience was wearing thinner and thinner by the second.

“Please, I-I don’t… Wait. Wait, I think I know who you’re talking about. M-my cousin James, h-he was there yesterday, I think. He said something a-about capturing a van der Linde and shootin’ him. He was still alive though. B-but I swear I don’t know anything else. I don’t know where they took him. He didn’t tell me nothin’ else!”

Charles could barely comprehend what the boy was saying now. Everything he guessed was right. Those dirty rats had Arthur and they fucking shot him.

“Where is he?!” He roared and tightened his grip on the boy.

“I don’t know! I swear! Please, I only been with them for two weeks and they don’t tell me nothin’! My cousin James was the one who was there and he wouldn’t even tell me! Just said I wasn’t important enough to know. I ain’t ever even met Colm yet!”

For some odd reason Charles believed him. As much as he didn’t want to believe the boy was of no use to helping him find Arthur, the terrified look in his eyes told him the kid wasn’t lying.

“Where is your cousin?” Charles demanded.

The boy pointed shakily back towards his camp. “Y-you just shot his fuckin’ brains out!” he cried.

Shit.

He remembered now the boy calling out the name ‘James’ when he took down the man shooting at him. He also remembered James calling the boy Riley.

He grasped the boy and lifted him close to his face. “Your name is Riley right?”

The boy squeaked in fear and nodded.

“Right well…Listen here Riley. If I ever see you again, I will not hesitate to kill you. Whether you’re with the O’Driscoll’s or not. But considering how often my gang fights them, I suggest you stay far, far, away from them. Colm may not know your face but I sure do. And I never forget a face. Got it?”

Riley nodded silently.

“What am I going to do if I see you again?” Charles asked him.

Riley whimpered. “Y-you’re gonna kill me.”

“Good.” Charles lifted him to his feet. “Now make sure I never see you again.” 

The boy wasted no time in running off.

Charles looked back towards the massacred camp. The glow of the abandoned fire shone brightly against the now dark sky.

He rode the short distance back to the camp and started searching for any clues that could help him. Maybe a letter or just a scrap of paper with any information on it.

He searched meticulously for over an over. Rummaged everything within site including the bodies. He paid special attention to James. He damn near stripped his corpse naked with the hope of finding even a shred of information. But…

Nothing.

“Dammit!” he yelled and slammed his hands down on one of the tables.

His eyes fixated on the smattering of was once James’ head. His gaze was trained on the bits and pieces of James’ brain as it stuck to the canvas behind his body. He wondered exactly which piece of brain held the information he desperately needed.

The answer he needed was right there. Right fucking there in front of him and yet…he was denied of it. And it was all his fault. 

He let out an enraged scream and grabbed a glass bottle from the table and flung it into a tree where it shattered. Not a second after, he flipped the table over entirely and turned towards the nearby wagon.

“God.” _punch_ “Fucking.” _punch_ “Dammit!” _punch_

He was acutely aware of the now throbbing pain radiating from his fist once he was done slamming it into the wooden planks.

He grimaced and turned around as he sunk against the wagon, heaving and heart racing.

He closed his eyes and slammed his head back against the hard wood, willing himself to calm down and get it together. He knew this kind of anger never led to anything good.

After a few minutes his breathing slowed and his body relaxed slightly. His hand was now aching fiercely and he held it tightly against his stomach with his uninjured hand. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was stars.

The night sky glimmered above him clearly, not a cloud in sight. It was beautiful. He wished Arthur was next to him to see it too.

He frowned. Now it felt like the night sky was mocking him.

He tilted his head down from the sky. His gaze landed once again on James’ body, unsurprisingly in the same spot.

“Where the hell is he James?” he whispered lowly to the corpse. “Where is he?”

He was answered by nothing but crickets and the hoots of an owl in some unknown direction.

He collected himself a few minutes later and walked defeatedly to Taima. When he grabbed onto the saddle horn he noticed an alarming amount of blood streaked down his arm. He knuckles were bleeding and bruised but not bleeding _that_ much. He looked at his bicep and was suddenly reminded of the bullet that grazed his arm during the firefight.

He dug out a piece of cloth from his saddlebag and tied it around the wound to try and stop the bleeding until he could address it later.

When he lifted himself into the saddle he realized just how exhausted he was. As much as he wanted to fight it, he needed rest.

He knew the area well from their time at Horseshoe Overlook. In fact, he remembered hunting out this way and using an abandoned shack as shelter more than once.

He pushed on for another hour until he found it. Luckily it was unoccupied.

He nearly fell to the ground when he dismounted. Tiredly, he removed his bedroll, a can of food, and some supplies for his wounds. His eyes then fell on Arthur’s hat which still hung from where he secured to Taima.

He stared at it for a few tense seconds, then decided to untie it and take into the shack with him. It was the only bit of evidence he had that something happened to Arthur, and he didn’t want it lost or stolen.

Once in the shack, he lit his lantern and laid out his bedroll. He quickly ate his cold canned food then started patching himself up.

The cut on his arm unfortunately needed stitches. He had experience stitching himself up before but it was painful. And now he had to use his left hand instead of his right.

Once that unpleasant experience was over, he cleaned his bloody knuckles and wrapped them with some cloth. He didn’t suspect anything was broken though. Nevertheless, he chastised himself for letting his anger get the better of him.

He thought back to the not so long ago time when he and Arthur went hunting for bison together. Then the _incident_ happened. Charles let his anger get to him then too. But Arthur was there to pick up the pieces. Not only that, but he offered promises of pulling each other out of the darkness they often found themselves in. Promises of no judgment, or fear of each other. To just be _them_.

That was the first time in Charles’ life that he felt accepted for who he was. Flaws and all. And Arthur made those feelings all too easy to reciprocate.

He thinks that was the first time he realized he loved Arthur Morgan.

Whether the man felt the same way since that night, he didn’t know. He pushed him away before he could ever find out.

But he pushed him away _because_ of his love for him. Love for him, and love for…

He sighed thinking about Beatrice. And that she was spending yet another night without Arthur. She was so distressed the night before. It broke his heart.

She doesn’t deserve all this. Not after just losing her mother. It’s the reason why he pushed Arthur away in the first place. He was supposed to be safer dammit. But now he sees that Arthur was never going to be safe. Not living the life of an outlaw.

He was realizing that all too late now. 

The dim light from the lantern danced across Arthur’s hat in front of Charles.

He picked it up gingerly and held it to his chest with both hands.

He thought of sorries and regrets, and begged the universe for a chance to make it up to him. He refused to shed tears though. Refused to allow himself one moment of grief with the assumption that the man was already gone forever.

He couldn’t accept that. Not while there was still hope.

Still clutching the hat, he laid down on his bedroll and felt the weight of the last two days take its affect on his body. He ached, and felt liable to not be able to move the next day.

Sleep didn’t come easy but when it finally did, he dreamt of Arthur.

***************

Come morning, Charles groaned as he stretched his aching body. As soon as he noticed how light it was outside already, he cursed and quickly started packing his things.

He hadn’t meant to sleep so long. Just until it was light again. But his body had other ideas apparently.

Once he had himself and Taima ready, he mounted her and set out once more. Though as he rode, he come to the realization that he was directionless.

His only options were to continue following leads up north, or backtrack down the river and explore the southern area.

He chewed his cheek in contemplation.

Well, he already ran into O’Driscoll’s in this area the night before so he figured searching around up here a bit more was the best way to go.

He found his way to the river again and decided to cross to the other side and search around over there.

He wandered for hours, looking for any sign, any clue. He even asked people he passed by if they had seen any O’Driscoll’s in the area. Most brushed him off with a scoff, others just shrugged and went about their business. Some had history dealing with them, but offered no information on where they could be holding up.

It was past midday when he spotted a large ranch in the distance. He could see several people walking around and almost all of them were armed. Unusual for a ranch he thought.

He crept closer and used his binoculars to get a better look.

It didn’t take him long to realize that they were in fact O’Driscoll’s. The sign in front of the property read as ‘Hanging Dog Ranch.’

A spark of hope went through him that he might have finally found Arthur.

He realized dreadfully though that there were way too many of them to take on alone. Even if Arthur was there, he wasn’t sure he would be able to rescue him.

First things first was to see if he actually _was_ there.

He took moment to consider his limited options. He could try and catch one of the patrol guards alone and take him to a secluded area for questioning. But the last time he did that he chose the wrong damn man to question, and killed the one who would have actually been of use.

He could also try to get close enough to eavesdrop on them and see if Arthur is even mentioned.

That seemed like the better option.

He rode up the hill behind the ranch and hitched Taima a decent distance from the ranch. He then slowly made is way down, trying his best not to be spotted.

He dodged behind rocks and trees until he made it down to the ranch. He could see two guards standing on the other side of the property fence talking.

He snuck up to the other side of the fence and listened.

Their conversation was meaningless to say the least. Talking about how hungry they were, what whores the fucked lately, how drunk they were the night before. Absolutely nothing to suggest Arthur was being held captive there.

They eventually moved on and Charles sought out new targets while also taking note of all the places on the ranch they could be hiding Arthur.

It was hours of sneaking around and listening to useless conversations, when Charles heard Colm’s name even get brought up.

“When the hell is Colm coming back?” he heard a strong Irish accent ask.

“Who the hell knows,” an annoyed American accent answered.

“Well, what the fuck is he even doin’ meeting up with ol’ van der Linde anyway?”

“Weren’t you listening dumbass? He’s gonna sell van der Linde and his whole crew to the law and get their bounties. Then we’ll be rich.”

Charles furrowed his brows. If that was Colm’s plan, then why take Arthur? Why not take Dutch?

“Well how is he gonna pull that off?” The Irish accent spoke up again.

“How should I know? Colm didn’t tell us shit about the plan. Just took his best men and said he would be back with the money.”

Charles cursed inwardly. So Arthur definitely wasn’t there, and those fools didn't even know where he was. Colm really seemed to have trust issues with his men. Dutch may not be perfect, but at least he gave a shit about his peop-

That’s when it clicked. Charles’ eyes widened with the realization of why Colm took Arthur and not Dutch himself.

He was betting on Dutch to go after Colm to get Arthur back. Arthur, his right-hand man, his most loyal follower, his greatest protégé. Colm knew Dutch would have dragged them all to hell if meant getting Arthur back.

But…he didn’t. Arthur went missing and Dutch did nothing…

Now Arthur was paying the price. He hoped at the very least that this meant Arthur was still alive. If Colm wanted to use him to draw out Dutch and the rest of the gang, then he wouldn’t just kill him.

He moved away quietly from the O’Driscoll’s and started making his way back to Taima.

He wasn’t sure if going after Arthur now would be his best bet. He still had no clue where they were hiding him and he felt he needed to warn Dutch and the others of Colm’s plan. Hopefully it wasn’t too late. He couldn’t decide if he would feel more angry or relieved if he returned to camp and found that Dutch still hadn’t gone after him.

Colm would probably get tired of waiting after a while and might just send Dutch a ransom note or something to draw him and everyone else out.

A shiver went through him at the thought of retuning to camp only to find all the gunmen missing and the rest of them panicking over what to do next. There’s no way he could stage a rescue mission to save them all if they get captured.

He quickly mounted Taima and set off back to camp. It was already approaching dusk so he would have to ride well into the night to get back without stopping.

“Sorry girl,” he apologized to Taima in advance and made sure to feed her extra carrots to keep her strength up for the journey ahead.

By the time he rode by Valentine the world had fallen into darkness. He pushed on even though exhaustion had once again consumed his body. The wounds on his hand and arm throbbed but he did his best to ignore them.

It was just before midnight by the time he finally made it back to camp. He wasn’t greeted by anyone on guard duty which set him on edge.

But as he got closer, he could see that most of the camp horses were hitched. Including The Count, and even Silver Dollar. That made him somewhat relieved. Luna was still missing to his dismay.

He rode up to the hitching post and noticed a few people were awake despite the late hour. Though the camp felt devoid of all life. It felt…eerie in a way.

He dismounted and nearly collapsed due to sheer exhaustion.

He rubbed his tired eyes and gently removed Arthur’s hat from Taima. He needed talk to Dutch right away. Tell him about Colm’s plan, tell him that Colm has Arthur.

He looked to see Dutch’s tent was open but the man was nowhere in sight. Hosea on the other hand, he spotted near the lakeshore. Standing and facing the water unmoving. He made his way towards him.

“Hosea,” he greeted softly. Hosea startled a little, obviously lost in his own thought.

“Charles! Shit, thank God you’re back. We’ve been worried.” He turned around and gave Charles a forced smile. Charles saw right through it though. He knew the man was barely holding together.

“I went to look for Arthur,” he said slowly and Hosea nodded along. His eyes gleamed with cautious hope.

Charles hesitated before offering him Arthur’s hat which he had been holding behind his back with his injured hand.

All the hope in Hosea’s face disappeared instantly. “He’s…”

“No,” Charles said quickly. “At least, I don’t think so. I believe he’s still alive. Colm…Colm took him to draw out Dutch. Draw out everyone really. But I don’t know where they took him. I couldn’t…I…failed him Hosea.”

Hosea slowly reached out to take the hat from Charles’ outstretched hand while patting him on the arm with his other.

“You did real good son. Real good. Are you alright though? Your…” he gestured to Charles’ bandaged hand and arm.

“I’m fine,” Charles responded.

Hosea clutched Arthur’s hat and shook his head. “That son of a bitch,” he spat. “I knew that meeting with Colm was a trap. I told them it was a trap dammit. When I get ahold of Dutch I’m gonna-”

“You’re back!” Hosea’s threat was cut off by John’s voice.

Charles stepped aside to let the man join in. But as soon as he did, John caught sight of Arthur’s hat in Hosea’s hands and froze.

“Colm took him,” Charles explained quickly. “I think he’s alive but I don’t know where he is.”

“Shit,” John breathed. “W-what do we do Hosea?”

Charles and John looked to Hosea who was glaring at the campfire in the distance. They followed his line of sight and could see Dutch standing at the fire talking with Javier.

Without a word, Hosea started marching towards him with Charles and John scrambling to follow.

Halfway there though, they were intercepted by Beatrice who came out of nowhere and hurled herself into Charles’ legs, almost causing him to fall. They all stopped in their tracks.

“Uncle Charles, you came back!” she cried against legs.

“Hey, ain’t you supposed to be in bed with Jack and uh…Auntie Abigail?” John asked the little girl but she ignored him. It did make Charles notice she was in nothing but her nightgown.

He was about to suggest she go back to bed, but when she looked up at him with her watery eyes and asked him if he found her daddy he was stunned into silence.

“I-”

“I-is he ever gonna come back? Or is he gone forever, like my mommy?” she asked with tears streaking down her face.

Charles’ breath hitched. What was he supposed to say?

He swallowed the lump in his throat and knelt down to her.

“I-I don’t think he’s gone forever. I think he’s lost. A-and we just have to find him.”

“I’ll help you look for him!” she said between tears then threw her arms around Charles.

Charles didn’t know what to say.

“That’s…” he trailed off before deciding there were no words left to say. So he gathered Bea into his arms and lifted her up to him in a comforting embrace. Just like he’s seen Arthur do with her so many times before. 

“Okay,” he said finally, and gave her a few pats on the back.

They all stood together for a few moments of silence. Hosea had nodded his approval at Charles while John just looked worried and lost.

After a minute he felt Bea perk up slightly in his hold. “Luna?” 

Charles made a confused face and pulled her back a little. “What?”

“Luna,” she said again with a smile and pointed. 

The three men looked at where she was pointing and were shocked to see Arthur’s horse walking with her head down into camp.

Luna herself was a mess. Coated in muck and other various fluids. But what caught their attention was the odd-shaped lump on her back.

Bea’s face fell. “What’s that?” she asked nervously.

Almost the exact moment she asked, did the three men realize what it was. Who it was. 

“Oh my god…” John whispered.

They stood frozen until Arthur’s body fell from Luna and landed with a thud on the ground. John and Hosea immediately took off towards Arthur along with various others who were already gathering around him. Soon the camp was filled with people shouting Arthur’s name and asking if he was dead.

“Daddy…?” Bea’s voice shook as she caught on to what was happening.

That made Charles snap out of it.

“Don’t look,” he commanded and pulled Bea’s head into his shoulder so she couldn't see what was happening. She allowed him to do so with no resistance. Without thinking, he promptly turned and started pacing away from what was happening. Away from the man he loved as he lay dead or dying on the ground.

“Don’t look,” he whispered again, more to himself this time, and squeezed Bea tighter to him as he fled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So another cliffhanger...sorry ya'll. 
> 
> Man, the end of this chapter really made me think to myself, 'this child is gonna be so traumatized by the time I'm done with this fic.' So ya...sorry Beatrice. 
> 
> Not gonna lie, I kind of struggled writing a whole chapter revolving around Charles and trying to get his character right. The parts where he took down the O'Driscoll's made me feel like I was channeling Arthur's character in his low-honor moments. Like when he's collecting debts. So ya I struggled a bit with this chapter and I'm not entirely happy with it but oh well. 
> 
> For those who don't know where Arthur was while the O'Driscoll's had him, he was kept in a cellar southeast of Riggs Station. Charles would have likely found him if he went south instead of north. So...oof. Might explore that later in the story. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments make my day! And I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!


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